Inside Shakespeare's plays

What were readers of Shakespeare thinking about as the United States was forming? Scholar Brandi K. Adams looks at a critical edition of Antony and Cleopatra published in 1776 and how our understanding of the plays builds off past readings.

Why is it important for lawyers to brush up their Shakespeare? University of Michigan Law professor and author Len Niehoff discusses what Shakespeare can teach lawyers about looking at problems from every possible angle.

As he wraps up his final season as Artistic Director of the Stratford Festival, Antoni Cimolino discusses revisiting The Tempest, the power of forgiveness, and the “rough magic” that makes theater possible.

When scholar and Everyday Shakespeare host Caroline Bicks gained unprecedented access to Stephen King’s personal archives, she discovered that the Bard of Avon and the King of Horror have more in common than you might think.

She appears in four of Shakespeare’s plays and speaks the most lines of any of his female characters. Authors Charles O’Malley and Scott W. Stern shine the spotlight on Margaret of Anjou, Shakespeare’s most deliciously complex anti-heroine.

Shakespeare never attended university, but his plays have inspired generations of scholars. They’re also filled with learned characters. Sean Keilen shares what Shakespeare’s fictional intellectuals can teach us about the purpose of scholarship.

James I was a multifaceted ruler who led a fascinating life—and his romantic relationships with both men and women guided its often-turbulent course. Historian and author Gareth Russell reveals the untold story of his life and loves.

Why did early modern poetry and plays provoke the House Un-American Activities Committee? Marjorie Garber explores how Shakespeare became a magnet for suspicion during the Red Scare—and how he spoke to the moment.

From Hamlet to A Midsummer Night’s Dream and more: try out our quiz about Shakespeare’s plays within a play, when his characters put on shows of their own.

From Ellen Terry to Sir Ian McKellen, Shakespearean actors performing solo shows is a time-honored tradition. Austin Tichenor shares a wide-ranging sampling of one-person Shakespeare shows from the past century.

In Shakespeare’s Scholars, Sean Keilen explores one of the more comic parts from Hamlet, Polonius’ advice to his son Laertes, and why audiences, from Shakespeare’s time until quite recently, took the words of guidance quite seriously.

A century after Shakespeare’s death, his words were in danger of being forgotten. Christine and Jonathan Hainsworth reveal how the Shakespeare Ladies Club rescued Shakespeare’s plays and made him the cultural icon he is today.