Inside Shakespeare's plays
Shakespeare's patriotic empathy
Austin Tichenor writes about Shakespeare’s history plays, the political considerations of the day, and patriotic portrayals centuries later.
Questionable parenting: Shakespeare and the father portrayals in his plays
What kind of father was Shakespeare? The fathers he portrays in his plays don’t always come off looking so good, but he also explores parental regret.
Play on! Q&A: Caridad Svich on translating ‘Henry VIII’
Playwright Caridad Svich writes how ‘Henry VIII’ oscillates between characters’ desire for power, on the one hand, and forgiveness, on the other.
Shakespeare and marriage, in his plays and in his own life
What did William Shakespeare think of marriage, based on how he wrote about it in his plays and what we know about his union with Anne Hathaway?
‘The Winter’s Tale’ and the problem of the Bohemia seacoast
A key plot point of Shakespeare’s ‘The Winter’s Tale’ relies on the country of Bohemia having a seacoast, which poses a geographical dilemma.
Imagining Shakespeare: What's your favorite "statue scene" from "The Winter's Tale?"
We asked our followers on social media to share their favorite stagings of the “statue scene” from “The Winter’s Tale” with the hashtag #ImaginingShakespeare.
Imagining Shakespeare: What happens in the statue scene from "The Winter’s Tale?”
Spoiler alert: something magical happens in the last scene of Shakespeare’s “The Winter’s Tale.” We dug into the Folger collection to explore.
Folger Director Michael Witmore on his favorite Shakespeare play: The Winter's Tale
What makes “The Winter’s Tale” so compelling? Folger Director Michael Witmore shares spoiler-free insights about this Shakespeare play in three short videos.
Much A-Don't About Dating
What does Shakespeare tell us of love? The plays provide us with a wealth of wooing and wedding, and many examples of what not to do.
![Hamlet and ghost. J. Coghlan. [early 19th century?]. Folger Shakespeare Library.](https://images.folger.edu/uploads/2017/10/011490-Hamlet-ghost.jpg?fit=10%2C10 "Hamlet and his father's ghost")
How Catholic and Protestant beliefs affect Hamlet's reaction to his father's ghost
When Hamlet first encounters his father’s ghost, the Danish prince’s reactions reflect Shakespeare’s understanding of the theological differences between early modern Catholics and Protestants regarding the spiritual realm, says David Scott Kastan.
When words fail: A possible interpretation of Isabella's silence in Measure for Measure
“Measure for Measure” is technically a comedy, which means it ends with a marriage. So why does Isabella respond to the Duke’s proposal with silence?
Shakespeare's mother tongue: English and Latin collide in The Merry Wives of Windsor
“The Merry Wives of Windsor” was written around 1597, and is often considered to be Shakespeare’s most English play.