We covered many topics on our Shakespeare & Beyond blog this year, from a new discovery about Shakespeare’s father from Shakespeare Quarterly to a Q&A with John Douglas Thompson on playing Othello to Shakespeare and TikTok. We recommended ideas for summer reading and new books for Shakespeare fans. Our Folger Finds collection posts included items from actor Earle Hyman’s collection on view in the Shakespeare Exhibition Hall and books and manuscripts that inspired Romeo and Juliet director Raymond O. Caldwell. And the quizzes—Shakespeare and travel, games, sports, and Shakespeare, and ordering the “Sermons in Stones” speech from As You Like It. Here’s our top five Shakespeare & Beyond blog posts from 2024. Happy reading!
1. Taylor Swift and Shakespeare
“Lend me your ears”: Harvard English professor Stephanie Burt explores the songs and songwriting of Shakespeare and Taylor Swift.
2. 14 Shakespeare Quotes about new beginnings
As the Folger prepared to reopen our building in June after four years of construction, we turned to Shakespeare’s plays for quotations about new beginnings and fresh starts.
3. 33 Shakespeare Quotes about the weather
If you’re running out of ways to say, “It’s too hot” or “It’s raining cats and dogs” or “It’s freezing,” try Shakespeare. Here are over 30 ways to complain about the weather.
4. Quiz: How well do you know Romeo and Juliet?
It’s so well-known that you might be able to summarize Shakespeare’s tragedy about “star-crossed lovers” even if you’ve never seen or read the play. Test your knowledge.
5. “Th’ Unruly Camp”: The Savage Beauty of Deadwood
Austin Tichenor dives deep into the Shakespearean character of the 36 episodes (plus a follow-up movie) of the HBO Western Deadwood, which celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2024.
What were your favorite Shakespeare & Beyond blog posts from 2024? Is there a particular topic you’d like us to cover in the new year? Tell us in the comments.
Riding double: Women on horseback and early modern courtship rituals
Patricia Akhimie examines the crucial role of women’s travels on horseback in the making of early modern marriage.
“God help the wicked”: Searching for redemption in Shakespeare
Austin Tichenor explores how the shift of a narrative’s perspective can offer answers to questions about which characters deserve redemption and our forgiveness, from Lear to Iago to Richard III.
Order It: Greeting autumn with Sonnet 73
Mark the recent equinox and the start of autumn in the northern hemisphere with a look at Sonnet 73. Take this quiz to see if you can correctly order the lines.
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