The Shakespeare & Beyond blog features a wide range of Shakespeare-related topics: the early modern period in which he lived, the ways his plays have been interpreted and staged over the past four centuries, the enduring power of his characters and language, and more.
Shakespeare & Beyond
Shakespeare & Beyond also explores the topics that shape our experience of Shakespeare today: trends in performance, the latest discoveries and scholarship, news stories, pop culture, interesting books, new movies, the rich context of theater and literary history, and more. As the word “beyond” suggests, from time to time Shakespeare & Beyond also covers topics that are not directly linked to Shakespeare.
Questions or comments? You can reach us at shakespeareandbeyond@folger.edu.
What's Onstage at Shakespeare Theaters in February
See what’s onstage at Shakespeare theaters across the United States this month.
Riding double: Women on horseback and early modern courtship rituals
Patricia Akhimie examines the crucial role of women’s travels on horseback in the making of early modern marriage.
Re-thinking "Honest Iago"
Austin Tichenor grapples with the larger question of whether Iago deserves the sympathetic re-evaluation found in Iago: The Green Eyed Monster.
Garden of Love: Embroidered treasures from 17th-century England
The language of botanicals can be found in some of the smallest treasures to survive the 17th century, such as embroidered boxes.
Excerpt: "Shakespeare's House"
“When it came to Elizabethan furniture, you could never be completely certain that it wasn’t bewitched,” writes Richard Schoch.
What's onstage at Shakespeare theaters in January
Find out what’s on this month at Shakespeare theaters in Chicago, Baltimore, San Francisco, Atlanta, South Bend, and more.
Shakes-year in Review: Shakespeare theaters look back at 2023
We asked our theater partners across the United States to share their highlights from 2023.
Birds of Shakespeare: The greylag goose
Artist Missy Dunaway concludes her Birds of Shakespeare series with the greylag goose, the subject of Romeo and Mercutio’s rapid-fire puns in Romeo and Juliet.
How William Shakespeare invented the holiday romcom
Austin Tichenor argues that today’s holiday romantic comedies are full of recognizably Shakespearean motifs.
Shakespeare’s Asia: Ships, spices, and porcelain
Folger Fellow Su Fang Ng examines several Shakespeare allusions to Asia that reinforce associations with spices, trade, and voyages.
The education of Henry VIII
How did Henry VIII’s childhood and education help shape him into the king he would become? This excerpt from Hunting the Falcon offers some intriguing insights.
The Woodstreet Cake: A spiced holiday cake with a spicy history
Follow this adapted recipe from a 17th-century manuscript in the Folger collection to make Woodstreet Cake, named for a London lane reputed for good cakes and good times at its popular taverns.