20,000 words included in new dictionary of Shakespeare’s English
Its publication comes after 25 years of preparation, a £1 million Arts and Humanities Research Council grant, a team of up to 25 researchers, and seven years of hard work.
Shakespeare and the Middle Ages
This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle discusses the medieval stories that informed some of the world’s most famous plays, as well as the influence William Shakespeare has had on our collective memory of the Middle Ages.
Shakespeare’s ecopolitics revealed in new book
A new book proposes that William Shakespeare was making radical statements about ecopolitics and environmental issues in many of his later plays.
The Original King Lear
Most people today know the story of King Lear from Shakespeare’s tragic play. But the original story actually comes from the medieval period, and it actually has a very happy ending.
New resources from Records of Early English Drama project now online
The Records of Early English Drama (REED) research collaboration has pulled back the curtain on two new online resources that bring a vibrant period of historical theatre performance, including the time of Shakespeare, to life.
Henry V in the cinema: Laurence Olivier’s charismatic version of history
Public attitudes to Henry V are very much influenced by William Shakespeare’s interpretation. Richard Inverne discusses how Shakespeare’s version has been translated into cinematic form by Laurence Olivier and Kenneth Branagh.
Chaucer or Shakespeare?
18 quotes (modernised) – some of which are Geoffrey Chaucer’s and some of which are William Shakespeare’s. Which one was penned by which great writer?
The Shakespeare Project Quiz
Test your knowledge on all things Shakespeare. This quiz includes his life, the times he lived in, the theater and his works. Enjoy! #GoShakespeare
Exhibit: Shakespeare In Ten Acts at the British Library
This year marks the 400th anniversary of the death of William Shakespeare (1564-1616). The British Library has honoured his contribution to English literature and the stage in a celebratory exhibition that runs until September 6th. British Library curators, Julian Harrison and Zoë Wilcox, have crafted an impressive exhibit that covers Shakespeare’s importance in ten acts.
Identity and Posthuman Medievalism in Sons of Anarchy
The medievalism of the FX television series Sons of Anarchy (2008-2014) is not inherently obvious. Set in Northern California, the series follows a fictional outlaw motorcycle club (MC) modeled on real gangs including the Hells Angels. Critics, fans, and creators alike discuss the series as an extended adaptation of Hamlet, and the broad narrative of the series is indeed a family tragedy.
Macbeth: Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard star in dark, gritty interpretation of Macbeth
Macbeth opened in October in London to critical acclaim. The movie is being released today in Canada and the US.
Agincourt 600 Celebrated with Pomp and Pageantry at Westminster Abbey
600 years ago, the bells of Westminster Abbey rang out as word arrived in London that Henry V had defeated the French in Agincourt. 600 years later to the very day, the bells pealed out again to commemorate a medieval battle where the English were vastly outnumbered but still came home victorious.
Celebrating Agincourt 600 at the Wallace Collection
This week, historians around the world are gearing up to commemorate the 600th anniversary of the Battle of Agincourt, one of the most significant battles of the Hundred Year’s War.
A little touch of Branagh: Henry V
Kenneth Branagh’s film of Henry V, released in 1989, was greeted with wide critical acclaim of a kind which repays close attention.
How Well Do You Know The Locations Of Shakespeare?
As a new Macbeth film is released, test yourself on how well you know the names and places associated with the Bard.
How Well Do You Know Your Shakespeare?
Eight questions about the plays of the famous English bard – see if you know them all!
Macbeth trailer released – first look at Michael Fassbender’s upcoming film
This adaption of Shakespeare’s tragedy stars Michael Fassbender, with Marion Cotillard portraying his wife, Lady Macbeth.
A Villain and a Monster – The Literary Portrait of Richard III by Thomas More and William Shakespeare
The process of vilification of Richard III started at the end of the fifteenth century, when a well-planned policy of Tudor propaganda was set in motion by Henry VII himself, who commissioned a series of historiographical writings, mainly aiming at the solidification of the newly founded dynasty.
Crafting the witch: Gendering magic in medieval and early modern England
This project documents and analyzes the gendered transformation of magical figures occurring in Arthurian romance in England from the twelfth to the sixteenth centuries.
10 Things to See at Southwark Cathedral
My 10 favourite things about Southwark Cathedral.
Macbeth film ‘Enemy of Man’ looks to raise money on Kickstarter
An independent feature film of William Shakespeare’s Macbeth starring Sean Bean, Rupert Grint and Charles Dance has almost raised half of the $250 000 they are seeking on the crowd-funding website Kickstarter.
The Art of Recovering Richard III
Who is the ‘real Richard III’?
‘Kings were not wont to render account’ Henry IV and the Authority of the King
Henry travelled extensively, became famed throughout Christendom as a champion jouster, crusaded in Eastern Europe, and looked after his father’s holdings whilst John of Gaunt campaigned in Spain.3 It is impossible not to note that Henry Bolingbroke’s popularity continued to increase while Richard II’s declined.
The Enduring Appeal of Richard III
It has indeed been confidently asserted that [Richard the 3d] killed his two Nephews & his Wife, but it has also been declared that he did not kill his two Nephews.
Myths and mandrakes
Others, however, began to wonder whether the possession of roots might not bring them success in other areas as well—wealth, popularity, or the power to control their own and other people’s destinies, and took to wearing them as good luck charms.