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.
![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.
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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…
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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.
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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…
![CST The Tempest CST The Tempest](https://images.folger.edu/uploads/2016/03/CST_TEMPEST_LizLauren.jpg?fit=10%2C10)
Teller and The Tempest: Magic in Shakespeare's time
Prospero (Larry Yando) suspends his daughter Miranda (Eva Louise Balistreiri) in midair as the ever-watchful Ariel (Nate Dendy) assists his master in Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s production of The Tempest, directed by Aaron Posner and Teller, in the Courtyard Theater, 2015.…
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Documenting the life of an icon: Shakespeare at 400 years
Shakespeare, Life of an Icon, the first of four special exhibitions at the Folger Shakespeare Library in 2016, offers a fresh and intimate perspective on William Shakespeare as the London playwright, bestselling poet, and man from Stratford. This once-in-a-lifetime assemblage shares…