Early modern life
The roles of the river in early modern times
An excerpt from Reading the River in Shakespeare’s Britain surveys some of the cultural roles of rivers, including how Shakespeare mentioned them in his plays.
Announced in 1622: A book now known as the First Folio
Greg Prickman explains how news of the 1623 book we now call the First Folio appeared a year earlier, on the occasion of a trade fair in Frankfurt, Germany.
Quiz: Games, sports, and Shakespeare
Shakespeare’s plays are full of sports and games. Test your knowledge with these questions.
A real-life lawsuit over failed magic
Tabitha Stanmore tells the story of a 15th-century widow hiring a magic practitioner in this excerpt from her book “Cunning Folk: Life in the Era of Practical Magic.”
Quiz: Shakespeare and travel
In this busy travel time, try out our “Travel and Shakespeare” quiz about journeys in his plays and in real life, too.
Better than a Pound of Sorrow: Antidotes for Melancholy in Early Modern England
Fellow Andrés Gattinoni looks at Early Modern collections of music and jokes intended to cure melancholy.
A ‘declineing time’? The final illnesses of Constance and Elizabeth Lucy
Folger Fellow Emma Marshall explores the history of the women of the Lucy family.
George Saunders in happier times
The tale of George Saunders and his hopes for a wife.
A 17th Century Letter Collection, Part 3: Farming in Early Modern England, 1630-1632
A final look at the Powell family letters.
A 17th Century Letter Collection, Part 2: Travelling Around Early Modern England, 1630-1632
A continued look at the Powell family letters.
“To the right Wor[shipfu]ll and my very louinge freinde the Lady Powell …”: A 17th Century Letter Collection
The first part of a series of posts examining the Powell family letters.
How Shakespeare Thought About the Mind, with Helen Hackett
The Elizabethan period marked an unusually rich moment for theories of consciousness and for the representation of thought in literature, says scholar Helen Hackett.