Shakespeare Anyone?

In our latest installment of our Shakespeare's Language Framework series, we are discussing the opposite of a discussion: soliloquies and asides!  In this episode, we look at Marcus Nordland's work with the Shakespearean Inside Database and what trends we can find in the solo speeches of Shakespeare when we look at them across the Complete Works.  Shakespeare Anyone? is created and produced by Kou...

Have you ever wondered why Claudius becomes king over Hamlet? In today's episode, we are exploring the laws of succession that Shakespeare's audience would have understood and diving into how modern productions have highlighted the geopolitical themes within the play.  Shakespeare Anyone? is created and produced by Kourtney Smith and Elyse Sharp. Note: When this episode was recorded, Kourtney Smit...

In today's mini-episode, we'll be talking about the touring theatre companies of Shakespeare's time. Did companies like the Players in  Hamlet actually exist (and is Shakespeare's depiction of them accurate)? What do we know about them? Shakespeare Anyone? is created and produced by Kourtney Smith and Elyse Sharp. Note: When this episode was recorded, Kourtney Smith was "Korey Leigh Smith". Episod...

In today's episode, we are expanding our research on Early Modern beliefs about ghosts. We'll looking be at how folk tales and ghost stories influenced the writing of  Hamlet and the depiction of King Hamlet's ghost as much as (or possibly more than) Early Modern religious beliefs about the afterlife. We'll also discuss the details of how a ghost would appear onstage in Shakespeare's time and how...

Today's episode is brought to you by our Patreon Patrons at the Gentry, Noble, and Royal Patron levels! They voted on today's topic: Shakespearean Woodcuts!  Woodcuts were a popular Early Modern print-making method used to add illustrations to printed publications and were kind of like an Early Modern meme.  Check out some of our favorites below: Hans Holbein's  The Dance of Death series Works by...

In today's episode, we are going to be discussing the female characters of Hamlet: Ophelia and Gertrude. We will be tackling some of the more difficult parts of the play for modern readers and theater-makers: the misogyny and seeming lack of female agency. In the first half, Korey will help us grapple with the seemingly inherent misogyny of the text (is the play misogynist just because the title c...

In today's mini-episode, we are joined by independent author Carly Stevens to discuss her recently released novel,  Laertes , and the process and inspiration behind writing a piece of modern narrative fiction based on Shakespeare's characters.  Carly Stevens  lives in Colorado Springs, where she has taught high school English (and  Hamlet !) for over ten years. Writing  Laertes  is the fulfilment...

In today's episode, we will be exploring the trope of antic disposition in William Shakespeare's  Hamlet  and asking the questions: does Hamlet actually go mad, or is he just pretending the whole time? What function did Hamlet's madness (pretend or otherwise) serve for Shakespeare's audience and what does it mean for audiences today? Shakespeare Anyone? is created and produced by Kourtney Smith an...

In today's episode, we are covering the major themes, tropes, and topics related to William Shakespeare's  Hamlet . We'll also discuss the challenges involved in reading, performing, and editing  Hamlet as well as how scholars have struggled to determine when exactly  Hamlet  was written.  Content warning: because of this play's themes, we will be discussing mental health and suicide in this episo...

In today's episode, we are kicking off our series on William Shakespeare's  Hamlet by giving you a synopsis of this looong play. In addition to covering the plot points you'll likely remember if you've seen or read this play before (like "to be or not to be," "alas poor Yorick!" etc.), we also make sure to cover the geopolitical subplots that can get cut or skipped.  Shakespeare Anyone? is created...

We are so excited to be sharing this episode with you. This week, we are sitting down for a conversation with Sir Jonathan Bate and Eric Rasmussen about their recently released second edition of the Royal Shakespeare Company's Complete Works of William Shakespeare, now available at a fine bookseller near you.  The newly revised, wonderfully authoritative First Folio of William Shakespeare's Comple...

Our time with King Lear has come to an end! This week, we will be discussing two major film adaptations and whether or not we feel they are worth watching: Trevor Nunn's 2008 film adaptation of the Royal Shakespeare Company production, starring Ian McKellen, and Richard Eyre's 2018 film produced for Amazon Studios, starring Antony Hopkins. We'll also talk a little about a few other significant pro...

Shakespeare features food all over his plays--he even names characters after food! Today, we are diving into the culinary landscape of Early Modern England and learning more about the foods (and foodies) of the time. Shakespeare Anyone? is created and produced by Kourtney Smith and Elyse Sharp. Note: When this episode was recorded, Kourtney Smith was "Korey Leigh Smith". Episode written and resear...

It is often said of  King Lear that if an actor has the stamina to play the titular role, they don't have the age, but if they have the age, they don't have the stamina.  With this in mind, we are taking a look at Early Modern perceptions and beliefs surrounding aging and old age, how aging and old age is represented in the text of King Lear , and how it has been portrayed on stage.  Shakespeare A...

In this week's mini-episode, we are taking a slight departure from the plays of William Shakespeare to look at another play,  Gallatea by John Lyly. We are joined in conversation by Dr. Simone Chess of Wayne State University to discuss the play's significance in Early Modern Queer and Trans Studies.  This episode is an excerpt from our longer discussion. If you'd like to hear more, we will be shar...

This is part two of our series on the intersection between Shakespeare's works and Mental Health and Disability. In this episode, we dive into how individuals at the forefront of the early field of psychiatry used Shakespeare's works, including King Lear , to develop treatments for their patients. Shakespeare Anyone? is created and produced by Kourtney Smith and Elyse Sharp. Note: When this episod...

In today's episode, we are continuing our series on Shakespeare's Language Framework by looking at his sonnets! In addition to his plays, Shakespeare also wrote 154 sonnets. What are they and can they tell us anything about the man behind the plays? Shakespeare Anyone? is created and produced by Kourtney Smith and Elyse Sharp. Note: When this episode was recorded, Kourtney Smith was "Korey Leigh S...

This episode is part one of a two part series where we will be looking at the representations of mental health and disability in Shakespeare's King Lear . First, in this week's episode, we will be discussing mental health and disability in Shakespeare's time, specifically early modern treatment of what we would now describe as mental illness, neurodiversity, and disability.   Shakespeare Anyone? i...

In today's episode, we are exploring the first official publications of Shakespeare's plays: the quartos and the first Folio. What even is a quarto versus a folio? Let's find out! Shakespeare Anyone? is created and produced by Kourtney Smith and Elyse Sharp. Note: When this episode was recorded, Kourtney Smith was "Korey Leigh Smith". Episode written and researched by Kourtney Smith. Music is "Nev...

In this week's episode, we are taking a look at how the patriarchal society and patrilineal anxieties of early modern English society influenced the sexist representations of gender in Shakespeare's  King Lear, and how much further more recent productions have comes in terms of representation...or not. Shakespeare Anyone? is created and produced by Kourtney Smith and Elyse Sharp. Note: When this e...

There's so much to talk about with each play that doesn't fit into the synopsis or into its own episode, so we've decided to cover several topics in this episode. In this episode, we discuss major thematic elements in Shakespeare's  King Lear as well as topics that are usually covered or talked about in reference to this play.  Shakespeare Anyone? is created and produced by Kourtney Smith and Elys...

Let's start diving into a play that is widely considered to be one of Shakespeare's best: King Lear. First up, as always, let's review the plot with a synopsis.  Shakespeare Anyone? is created and produced by Kourtney Smith and Elyse Sharp. Note: When this episode was recorded, Kourtney Smith was "Korey Leigh Smith". Episode written by Elyse Sharp and Kourtney Smith. Music is "Neverending Minute"...

Quick annoucement time! We are launching a Patreon! Patreon patrons will get access to exclusive bonus content throughout the year.  The link is also in the episode description. -- Shakespeare Anyone? is created and produced by Korey Leigh Smith and Elyse Sharp. Music is "Neverending Minute" by Sounds Like Sander. Follow us on Instagram at @shakespeareanyonepod for updates or visit our website at...

Before we dive into our next play, we are taking the time to revisit both of the plays we covered this year. For this episode, we re-read Twelfth Night and will be discussing what we noticed in the reading and what was different for us  after spending six months researching and studying the play.  Shakespeare Anyone? is created and produced by Kourtney Smith and Elyse Sharp. Note: When this episod...

Before we dive into our next play, we are taking the time to revisit both of the plays we covered this year. For this episode, we re-read Macbeth and will be discussing what we noticed in the reading and what was different for us  after spending six months researching and studying the play.  Shakespeare Anyone? is created and produced by Kourtney Smith and Elyse Sharp. Note: When this episode was...