The Bard's Corner

S2 E3: Macbeth, The Plague, and Shadows Some works of literature feel timeless because they were born in moments of profound uncertainty. When William Shakespeare wrote Macbeth, London was living through fear and disruption. The Gunpowder Plot of 1605 had shaken the nation’s sense of security, and the return of the plague soon after closed theatres and emptied streets. Questions of loyalty, ambiti...

What happens when Shakespeare meets a quiet garden? In this episode of The Bard’s Corner , I invite you to join me in the gardens surrounding Wells Cathedral, one of England’s most beautiful and peaceful places. Beneath ancient stone walls, beside still waters, and among winding pathways, we explore Shakespeare’s Sonnet 98 — a poem that reflects on spring, renewal, and our relationship with the na...

S2 E2: Cordelia Comforting Her Father, King Lear, in Prison Welcome to The Bard’s Corner. Thank you for listening in. I am your host, Rebecca Budd. Thank you for joining me today. Today, I invite you to stand quietly before a single painting. Sometimes a work of art asks us to slow down before it tells its story. We notice the expressions, the light, the silence between two people. Only then do we...

S2 E1: Sonnet 18 — Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? Sonnet 18 by William Shakespeare Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate: Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, And summer’s lease hath all too short a date; Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines, And often is his gold complexion dimm'd; And every fair from fair sometime declines, By...

S1 E3: Sonnet 2: When forty winters shall besiege thy brow by William Shakespeare Welcome to The Bard’s Corner, and thank you for joining me today. In this episode, we turn to Sonnet 2 — “When forty winters shall besiege thy brow…” — a meditation on time, beauty, and the quiet legacy we leave behind. I invite you to listen in as we step into Shakespeare’s timeless words and consider how they still...

S1 E2: Sonnet 1 From fairest creatures we desire increase From fairest creatures we desire increase, That thereby beauty’s rose might never die, But as the riper should by time decease, His tender heir might bear his memory; But thou, contracted to thine own bright eyes, Feed’st thy light’s flame with self-substantial fuel, Making a famine where abundance lies, Thyself thy foe, to thy sweet self t...

S1 E1 Welcome to The Bard's Corner Greetings, fellow Shakespeare enthusiasts! I am thrilled to introduce you to "The Bard's Corner," a brand new podcast dedicated to exploring the profound beauty and timeless relevance of William Shakespeare's words. In each episode, I will explore the rich tapestry of Shakespeare's language, uncovering the layers of meaning and emotion t...