That Shakespeare Life

Whenever Shakespeare's plays are performed, there are always legends and stories which come up right along with them. We have Macbeth and the Scottish Play, as well as Romeo and Juliet and the famous misconstrued couplet in the final scene. Over the years, some of these stories have grown into famous anecdotes that no one is really sure where they started. No one, at least, except Paul Menzer. Thi...

In this episode I ask Dr. Bart Van Es,  author, historian, and Professor in English at the University of Oxford, about Richard Burbage.  We explore the life of Richard Burbage, Shakespeare's leading actor and the first man to play the roles of Hamlet, Othello, and King Lear. You'll learn about what Richard Burbage looked like, his family, his hobbies, and how it was he and his father who really ga...

Jem Bloomfield is an author, blogger, and Assistant Professor of Literature at the University of Nottingham.  His research ranges across Shakespeare, gender, performance and the Bible, with a particular focus on the ways texts are used to focus cultural authority. Dr. Bloomfield's work has been cited in The Guardian, The New Statesmen, and Contemporary Theater Review . His latest book is titled Sh...

Even Shakespeare had to eat. When you study food in 16th and 17th century England, we learn about the foods that would be served most often at banquets or before royalty. But what about the regular guy? What about William Shakespeare? In this episode, award winning food historian Francine Segan walks us through the kitchen of William Shakespeare to explore what foods the bard might have eaten for...

Expert British Historian Philippa Brewell helps us understand what life at court was like for William Shakespeare.