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 this summer
Plan a visit to a theater near you with our guide to summer Shakespeare across the United States.
Quiz: Deaths in Shakespeare plays
Lots of characters die in Shakespeare’s plays, sometimes in quite violent and graphic ways. Test your knowledge by taking our quiz.
Excerpt: "Shakespeare without a Life" by Margreta de Grazia
Did Shakespeare give much thought to how his works would survive after his death? Margreta de Grazia argues that his sonnets show he did.
“By false intelligence": AI, ChatGPT, and (the) Bard
Austin Tichenor finds that AI does not quite measure up to William Shakespeare when he asks ChatGPT and Bard to write a new play called “Cardenio.”
Excerpt: "Richard III's Bodies from Medieval England to Modernity"
The disabled body of Richard III, a historical English king and one of Shakespeare’s most iconic villains, is the focus of a recent book by Jeffrey R. Wilson.
Birds of Shakespeare: The magpie
Artist Missy Dunaway explores the thieving magpie’s ominous appearances in Shakespeare’s plays.
"Something is desperate": Theatrical mishaps and embarrassing moments with Shakespeare
We gathered tales of onstage mistakes, errors, and whoopsies from Shakespeare theaters across the US.
Excerpt: "Shakespeare's Book" by Chris Laoutaris
Chris Laoutaris explores the Shakespearean printing mystery behind the Pavier-Jaggard Quartos, published a few years before the First Folio.
Embroidering the crown: Needlework in the English royal court
Rachel Pollack writes about early modern English embroideries and the stories they depict, such as the classical myth of Hero and Leander.
The coriander connection: Brain health in early modern English recipes and Ayurvedic practices today
An Ayurvedic doctor explores resonances between traditional Indian medicine and an early modern English recipe in the Folger collection that prescribes coriander to “helpe the memorie.”
By the triple Hecate’s team: Engaging Shakespeare as actress, director, and novelist
A YA fantasy novelist shares how she channels her acting passions for Shakespeare and stage combat into her debut book, That Self-Same Metal.