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Shakespeare & Beyond

Shakespeare & Beyond

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.

Shakes-year in Review: Shakespeare theaters look back at 2023
Shakespeare and Beyond

Shakes-year in Review: Shakespeare theaters look back at 2023

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Author
Ben Lauer

We asked our theater partners across the United States to share their highlights from 2023.

Birds of Shakespeare: The greylag goose
Shakespeare and Beyond

Birds of Shakespeare: The greylag goose

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Author
Missy Dunaway

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
Shakespeare and Beyond

How William Shakespeare invented the holiday romcom

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Author
Austin Tichenor

Austin Tichenor argues that today’s holiday romantic comedies are full of recognizably Shakespearean motifs.

Shakespeare’s Asia: Ships, spices, and porcelain
Shakespeare and Beyond

Shakespeare’s Asia: Ships, spices, and porcelain

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Author
Su Fang Ng

Folger Fellow Su Fang Ng examines several Shakespeare allusions to Asia that reinforce associations with spices, trade, and voyages.

The education of Henry VIII
Shakespeare and Beyond

The education of Henry VIII

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Shakespeare & Beyond

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
Shakespeare and Beyond

The Woodstreet Cake: A spiced holiday cake with a spicy history

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Author
KC Hysmith

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.

“What the Dickens": How Shakespeare haunts "A Christmas Carol"
A ghostly grey figure wrapped in chains confronts a recumbent man with white hair and a white nightgown
Shakespeare and Beyond

“What the Dickens": How Shakespeare haunts "A Christmas Carol"

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Author
Austin Tichenor

Austin Tichenor unpacks Shakespeare’s influence on Charles Dickens in the beloved holiday classic A Christmas Carol.

Holiday gift guide: Shop the Folger
Shakespeare and Beyond

Holiday gift guide: Shop the Folger

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Shakespeare & Beyond

Use our guide to find the perfect present for the loved ones in your life: the writer, the artist, the new parent, the book lover, the puzzle enthusiast, and more.

12 Shakespeare quotes about food and drink
Shakespeare and Beyond

12 Shakespeare quotes about food and drink

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Author
Ben Lauer

We rummage through the pantry of Shakespeare’s plays for quotations about food and drink.

Birds of Shakespeare: The peregrine falcon
Shakespeare and Beyond

Birds of Shakespeare: The peregrine falcon

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Author
Missy Dunaway

Falconry plays an important role in Shakespeare’s world, and Shakespeare peppers falconry terminology throughout his dialogue, Missy Dunaway explores.

Quiz: How well do you know "The Winter's Tale"?
Shakespeare and Beyond

Quiz: How well do you know "The Winter's Tale"?

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Shakespeare & Beyond

Test your knowledge of this Shakespeare play.

A witty Fool and foolish wit: Christopher Moore’s Pocket Chronicles
Shakespeare and Beyond

A witty Fool and foolish wit: Christopher Moore’s Pocket Chronicles

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Author
Austin Tichenor

Austin Tichenor writes about Christopher Moore’s trio of comic novels, which follow the fool from King Lear as he interacts with other Shakespeare characters.

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