Shakespeare & Beyond
The roles of the river in early modern times
An excerpt from Reading the River in Shakespeare’s Britain surveys some of the cultural roles of rivers, including how Shakespeare mentioned them in his plays.
A real-life lawsuit over failed magic
Tabitha Stanmore tells the story of a 15th-century widow hiring a magic practitioner in this excerpt from her book “Cunning Folk: Life in the Era of Practical Magic.”
Apollo 11 and other scientific wonders
Mark the 55th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission with a look at a fascinating Apollo 11 flight plan sheet that traveled to the Moon.
A Midsummer milestone for Tina Packer and Shakespeare & Company
Revisit Shakespeare & Company’s 1978 production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream with this excerpt from Katharine Goodland’s book on Shakespeare productions directed by Tina Packer.
Celebrating a spectacular Fourth with Folger exhibitions
On display: A letter from Abigail Adams and other extraordinary American items help celebrate the Fourth of July.
Order It: "Sermons in stones" from As You Like It
Shakespeare’s phrase “sermons in stones” is from a speech in As You Like It. Take this quiz to see if you can correctly order the lines.
New ideas for summer reading
Explore great Shakespeare-related ideas for summer reading from the Folger Shakespeare Library’s online book club, blogs, and podcast.
Earle Hyman: An actor makes history
Explore photos, stories, and a video to learn more about actor Earle Hyman, whose bust is in the Folger’s Shakespeare Exhibition Hall.
A memorable Macbeth: Setting the Scottish play in 19th-century Haiti
Read about the 1936 “voodoo Macbeth” in this excerpt from The Playbook: A Story of Theater, Democracy, and the Making of a Culture War by James Shapiro.
How do Shakespeare’s characters react when they lose family or love?
Stephen Greenblatt explores this question in this excerpt from Second Chances: Shakespeare and Freud, a book co-authored with Adam Phillips.
Judi Dench's take on Viola in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night
What’s going through Viola’s head as she woos Olivia on Orsino’s behalf? Dame Judi Dench reflects on this key scene in this excerpt from her newly published book.
A ballad for Titus Andronicus
Listen to a ballad that was written around 1594 as a spin-off of Titus Andronicus, the revenge tragedy that’s considered one of Shakespeare’s bloodiest and most violent plays.