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
![Shax_beyond_small_banner](https://images.folger.edu/uploads/2022/11/Shax_beyond_small_banner.jpg?resize=1200%2C400&gravity)
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.
![The New York Times](https://images.folger.edu/uploads/2016/04/119617.jpg?fit=10%2C10)
How 'The New York Times' commemorated the Shakespeare tercentenary in 1916
2016 marks 400 years after William Shakespeare’s death, and the world is celebrating the quatercentenary with Shakespeare performances, festivals, and fireworks. One hundred years ago, what was said about the Shakespeare tercentenary in the United States? We see one of these windows…
!['Worlds Elsewhere' by Andrew Dickson 'Worlds Elsewhere' by Andrew Dickson](https://images.folger.edu/uploads/2016/04/worlds-elsewhere-jacket.png?fit=10%2C10)
'Worlds Elsewhere': Shakespeare's imagination roaming far and free
William Shakespeare is a global phenomenon. In the four centuries since his death, the British playwright’s works have appeared at times and places where we might least expect them. Why is this so? Shakespeare was no world traveler. So then why…
![Folger Theatre's 2010 Hamlet Folger Theatre's 2010 Hamlet](https://images.folger.edu/uploads/2016/04/HamletFolgerTheatre2010.jpg?fit=10%2C10)
Portraits in Hamlet: ‘Look here upon this picture, and on this’
One of the oldest theatrical legends about Shakespeare is that he played the ghost in Hamlet. We know that Shakespeare was both an actor and a playwright, but we have no idea whether he acted this small, but memorable role.…
![Charles Kean Promptbook Charles Kean Promptbook](https://images.folger.edu/uploads/2016/04/037087_CharlesKeanPromptbook.jpg?fit=10%2C10)
King and Country: Shakespeare treasures from the Folger
A special exhibition of rare quartos, promptbooks, and other treasures from the Folger collection accompanies the Royal Shakespeare Company staging of King and Country: Shakespeare’s Great Cycle of Kings at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York this month. Director Gregory…
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Quiz: Shakespeare's Fools
Shakespeare’s plays are filled with fools. How well do you know these clowns and comedians? Take our quiz and test your knowledge.
![ShakespeareQuizFirstLines](https://images.folger.edu/uploads/2016/03/ShakespeareQuizFirstLines.png?fit=10%2C10)
Quiz: Can you identify the Shakespeare play by only the first line?
Test your Shakespeare knowledge and take our quiz! Can you identify the Shakespeare quiz by the first line?See if you can identify the play with only the first line to go by. Be warned, it gets harder as you progress.…
![Othello](https://images.folger.edu/uploads/2016/03/036358.jpg?fit=10%2C10)
Cervantes, the Moors of Spain, and the Moor of Venice
Othello, the Moor of Venice. Desdemona loved to hear him tell the story of his adventures / Louis Rhead. Folger Shakespeare Library.Of all Shakespeare’s plays, Othello is the one that is most frequently compared to Spanish literature in the age…
![Conservation Lab](https://images.folger.edu/uploads/2016/03/ConservationLab-TJLetter-Linda-Sloane.jpg?fit=10%2C10)
A behind-the-scenes tour of the Folger conservation lab
Renate Mesmer. Photo by Lloyd Wolf. Up on the third floor of the Folger Shakespeare Library, conservators work meticulously with rare books and other collection materials: preserving, repairing, preparing for display, and packaging for travel. Renate Mesmer, head of conservation,…
![Shakespeare would ride the bicycle](https://images.folger.edu/uploads/2016/03/006191.jpg?fit=10%2C10)
Would you buy a used car from William Shakespeare? How about mustard?
Would you buy a bicycle if William Shakespeare sold it to you? How about trading up to a Cadillac? Over the years, advertisers have counted on the novelty of Shakespeare, and his memorable characters, to sell their products. The brochure…
![Julius Caesar](https://images.folger.edu/uploads/2016/03/JuliusCaesar_crJeffMalet.jpg?fit=10%2C10)
Beware the Ides of March
Perhaps if Caesar had paid attention to the Soothsayer and to his wife Calpurnia’s premonitions, he might not have been killed—but that would be re-writing history.
![South Dakota National Music Museum](https://images.folger.edu/uploads/2016/03/South-Dakota-National-Music-Museum.jpg?fit=10%2C10)
Follow the First Folio tour! Updates from Maine, Michigan, Puerto Rico, South Dakota, and Texas
“If music be the food of love, play on…” At the National Music Museum in South Dakota, Shakespeare’s First Folio is surrounded by musical instruments from the playwright’s era, including the only English-made Renaissance cittern (c. 1579) known to survive…
![Shakespeare, Life of an Icon](https://images.folger.edu/uploads/2016/03/LifeOfAnIcon-5.jpg?fit=10%2C10)
Life of an icon: Shakespeare as playwright and poet
Fifty of the most important manuscripts and printed works related to Shakespeare’s life and career are on display in the Folger exhibition Shakespeare, Life of an Icon, curated by Heather Wolfe. Some of these documents mark important milestones for Shakespeare…