Shakespeare & Beyond

Austin Tichenor argues that today’s holiday romantic comedies are full of recognizably Shakespearean motifs.

Folger Fellow Su Fang Ng examines several Shakespeare allusions to Asia that reinforce associations with spices, trade, and voyages.

How did Henry VIII’s childhood and education help shape him into the king he would become? This excerpt from Hunting the Falcon offers some intriguing insights.

Follow this adapted recipe from a 17th-century manuscript in the Folger collection to make Woodstreet Cake, named for a London lane reputed for good cakes and good times at its popular taverns.

Austin Tichenor unpacks Shakespeare’s influence on Charles Dickens in the beloved holiday classic A Christmas Carol.

Use our guide to find the perfect present for the loved ones in your life: the writer, the artist, the new parent, the book lover, the puzzle enthusiast, and more.

We rummage through the pantry of Shakespeare’s plays for quotations about food and drink.

Falconry plays an important role in Shakespeare’s world, and Shakespeare peppers falconry terminology throughout his dialogue, Missy Dunaway explores.

Test your knowledge of this Shakespeare play.

Austin Tichenor writes about Christopher Moore’s trio of comic novels, which follow the fool from King Lear as he interacts with other Shakespeare characters.

As Halloween approaches, we take a look at Shakespeare’s best quotations about fear.

Playwright Amanda L. Andrei tells her story of winning a complete set of Folger editions as a high school student and how Shakespeare’s plays have inspired her over the years.