• Milton's Shakespeare

    Listen to an interview with Jason Scott-Warren and Claire M.L. Bourne⁠, the scholars behind the recent groundbreaking discovery that a Shakespeare First Folio in Philadelphia once belonged to (and was marked up by) John Milton, author of Paradise Lost⁠.

    Listen More Podcast Episodes

  • Photo: Lloyd Wolf

    A Monument to Shakespeare

    Learn about the extraordinary Folger Shakespeare Library building, designed by architect Paul Philippe Cret, and its modernized classical exterior and English Renaissance interior. Through Jan 5

    About the Exhibition Curators' Insights

  • Photo: Lloyd Wolf

    Race and Periodization

    Last month the Folger Institute and the Arizona Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies co-sponsored a symposium to explore the relationship between race and historical periods, part of the #RaceB4Race initiative.

    Hear Opening Lectures More Scholarly Programs

  • Photo: Lloyd Wolf

    Reading Shakespeare's Plays

    The Folger Shakespeare Library Editions are the most popular Shakespeare texts used in American classrooms. Visit Folger Digital Texts to read the full, searchable text of Shakespeare's plays online.

    Folger Digital Texts About the Editions

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    Building Renovation Project

    The main building will be undergoing a major renovation beginning in early 2020 to expand public space, improve accessibility, and enhance the experience for all who come here. The project is supported by the $50 million Wonder of Will campaign.

    Building Project The Wonder of Will

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ADAPTING SHAKESPEARE

Shakespeare and Opera: Verdi’s Macbeth

In adapting Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Giuseppe Verdi broke many of the rules that dictated a proper framework for Italian opera in favor of a more fluid, cohesively unfolding music drama.

Read the Blog Post Podcast on Shakespeare and Opera

EARLY PRINTED TEXTS

Henry IV, Part 1: Quarto Zero

This fragment of four leaves in the Folger collection is believed to be the earliest edition of Henry IV, Part 1, published in 1598. Learn more about what early printings reveal about the play’s popularity and evolution, and see “quarto zero” on Shakespeare Documented.

Read the Blog Post Shakespeare Documented

SHAKESPEARE'S HEROINES

Lady Percy and Lady Mortimer

Though the action of Henry IV, Part 1 focuses on the male characters, the noblewomen affected by their husbands’ actions stake their own claims to the audience’s attention: feisty Lady Percy and the Welsh-speaking Lady Mortimer.

Read the Blog Post See the Play Onstage

FROM THE DIRECTOR

Shakespeare is our middle name. We are stewards of a precious resource of world heritage and culture—a living tradition that offers something truly elevating.
Michael Witmore
Folger Shakespeare Library Director
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  • Folger Theatre's 2019/20 Season

    Feast on a smorgasbord of Shakespeare and Shaffer. Larger-than-life characters—full of humor, hubris, and hunger—take the Folger stage next season. These legendary figures—from Falstaff to Mozart—will leave you craving more. Subscribers get the best seats at the best price, plus other exclusive benefits.

    Subscriber Info

  • Eudora Welty Lecture: Jesmyn Ward

    Best-selling author Jesmyn Ward delivers the fourth annual Eudora Welty Lecture. Ward is a two-time National Book Award-winner for Salvage the Bones (2011) and Sing, Unburied, Sing (2017). At the National Press Club on Wednesday, October 16 at 7:30pm. 

    Tickets & Info

Upcoming at the Folger

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Folger Education

Classroom Resources for Teaching Shakespeare

Folger Education works alongside teachers to develop engaging, effective tools for helping students have successful classroom encounters with Shakespeare and other complex texts.

Learn More