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.
Birds of Shakespeare: The European robin
According to Renaissance folklore, robins were kind and adored humans so deeply that if one came upon a person who had passed away, it would place flowers on the body.
Proving a villain: Problematic Shakespearean mentors
Austin Tichenor writes about the problematic protagonists of the Oscar-nominated films Elvis and Tár, who evoke Shakespeare’s Richard III as they seek to control their respective narratives.
Birds of Shakespeare: The turtle dove
The turtle dove as a symbol of love appears in Shakespeare’s romances, tragedies, and comedies.
Shakespeare’s Best and Worst Couples
As Valentine’s Day approaches, we polled our theater partners to determine who Shakespeare’s best and worst couples are and what their relationships teach us about love.
“I do love nothing in the world so well as you”: 6 Shakespeare quotes for Valentine’s Day
Looking for a way to say “I love you” this Valentine’s Day? Say it with Shakespeare! We’ve got six new Shakespearean Valentines for you to send to that special someone.
“Wanton boys": Shakespeare and The White Lotus Season 2
Austin Tichenor writes a blog post about how, like many of Shakespeare’s plays, the HBO series The White Lotus explores power among the privileged and the people who attend them.
Birds of Shakespeare: The lark
Shakespeare mainly employs the lark as a beloved symbol for the morning, the herald of the dawn. Most of the lark’s 27 appearances in Shakespeare’s works feature it welcoming the start of each day with a sweet song.
What's onstage at Shakespeare theaters this winter
Sometimes it seems like January and February drag on forever. Thankfully, in 2023, there’s lots of thrilling theater to keep our spirits up. Here’s our round-up of performances from our theater partners across the United States this winter.
Marking a milestone: 200 episodes of Shakespeare Unlimited
To celebrate releasing the 200th episode of the Folger’s Shakespeare Unlimited podcast, we revisit our five most popular episodes to date.
Q&A: Reynaldo Piniella and Emily Lyon on their bilingual Hamlet
In this bilingual Hamlet, a Black and Latinx prince has his sense of identity fractured by the loss of his Black father.