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
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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.
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Inside an Argentine translation of ‘Hamlet’ paired with surrealist illustrations
Rafael Squirru and Juan Carlos Liberti collaborated to create this Argentine translation of Shakespeare’s ‘Hamlet’ with surrealist illustrations.
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Play on! Q&A: Kenneth Cavander on translating 'Timon of Athens'
Timon of Athens was the pilot play for Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s Play on! project. Kenneth Cavander reflects on the translation process.
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The Richard Stonley diary: Rediscovering an early Shakespeare purchase
Forty-five years ago on Shakespeare’s birthday, the Folger announced that Laetitia Yeandle, then curator of manuscripts, had “rediscovered” a long-lost diary entry marking the first recorded purchase of Shakespeare’s first publication, Venus and Adonis.
![Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead](https://images.folger.edu/uploads/2018/04/RGAreDead-crJeffMalet.jpg?fit=10%2C10)
Cruel to be kind: Irreverently celebrating Shakespeare's birthday
Austin Tichenor of the Reduced Shakespeare Company writes about how “impertinent” riffs on Shakespeare’s work do much to celebrate his legacy.
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What's onstage at Shakespeare theaters in April
Every month, we share a snapshot of Shakespeare in performance around America. What plays are onstage this month? We check in with our theater partners
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Excerpt: 'Macbeth' by Jo Nesbø
Read an excerpt from ‘Macbeth’, Norwegian detective crime novelist Jo Nesbø’s retelling of Shakespeare’s play, from the Hogarth Shakespeare series.
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Excerpt: 'Julius Caesar and Me: Exploring Shakespeare’s African Play'
Read an excerpt from actor Paterson Joseph’s book about playing the role of Brutus in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s acclaimed 2012 production of Julius Caesar.
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Excerpt: 'Year of the Mad King' by Antony Sher
What’s it like to play the role of Lear onstage? In this excerpt from Year of the Mad King: The Lear Diaries, actor Antony Sher gives us a window into the rehearsal process for the Royal Shakespeare Company production of King…
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‘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.
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Globe-al dominance: The rise in reconstructed Globe theatres
Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre is the most recognizable early modern playhouse, and the last few years have seen multiple reconstructions.
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The production's the thing: Thoughts on Shakespeare's Romances
Austin Tichenor looks at different stage productions of “The Winter’s Tale” and “Pericles” in order to understand what makes Shakespeare’s Romances “work.”
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'The Blazing World' by Margaret Cavendish: The first science fiction novel written by a woman
“The Description of a New World, Called the Blazing World” by Margaret Cavendish has been called the first science-fiction novel written by a woman. Learn more about this book, which is part of the Folger collection.