Category Archives: Shakespeare’s World

The mysterious Passionate Pilgrim and Shakespeare

Posted on November 23, 2011 by Sylvia Morris

I’ve been spending some time just recently re-reading James Shapiro’s great book 1599, which I strongly recommend if you haven’t already read it. It focuses on a single year, decisive in Shakespeare’s creative life as well being as the year … Continue reading →

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Shakespeare and the first actresses

Posted on November 21, 2011 by Sylvia Morris

The National Portrait Gallery in London’s new exhibition celebrates the careers of the earliest English professional actresses. Entitled The First Actresses: Nell Gwynn to Sarah Siddons it neatly documents womens’ increasing respectability in the world of the theatre. In Shakespeare’s … Continue reading →

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Facts, fiction and Shakespeare’s view of history

Posted on November 18, 2011 by Sylvia Morris

It’s always claimed that Shakespeare must have been fascinated by British history because he wrote so many plays about it. I make the play count thirteen. But was this fascination with the history itself, or did he see it as … Continue reading →

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Robin Hood and Shakespeare

Posted on November 14, 2011 by Sylvia Morris

A new play by David Farr, called The Heart of Robin Hood, is just about to open at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. The legend of Robin Hood is a great subject for the RSC as it was obviously a story … Continue reading →

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Shakespeare’s King Lear and possession

Posted on November 10, 2011 by Sylvia Morris

A few weeks ago I attended one of the Shakespeare Club in Stratford-upon-Avon’s lectures given by Professor Ewan Fernie, on King Lear. It was a thought-provoking look at some of the darkest scenes in this already dark and gruelling play. … Continue reading →

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Gunpowder, treason and plot: Guy Fawkes and the Shakespeare connection

Posted on November 5, 2011 by Sylvia Morris

As I write this Guy Fawkes is trending on Twitter and “Occupy Wall Street” protestors are wearing Guy Fawkes masks inspired by the film Vendetta. Perhaps Guy Fawkes Day is set to become a politically meaningful date in the calendar … Continue reading →

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The facts about Shakespeare’s coat of arms

Posted on November 2, 2011 by Sylvia Morris

At some time in the late 1560s or early 1570s William’s father John Shakespeare enquired about acquiring a coat of arms for his family. John had ambition: as a young man he left the little village of Snitterfield for the … Continue reading →

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Walking for Shakespeare: Nine Day’s Wonder

Posted on November 1, 2011 by Sylvia Morris

Walking for fun’s not a concept that would have been understood in Shakespeare’s day, and the sponsored walk would have been an even more alien idea. Walking was a necessity, and when Shakespeare left Stratford for London as a young … Continue reading →

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Recording Shakespeare’s town: documents of the Stratford-upon-Avon Corporation

Posted on October 30, 2011 by Sylvia Morris

After experiencing Hollywood’s wildly inaccurate version of history in the film Anonymous I’ve returned with relief to a book which looks at the reality. Dr Robert Bearman has continued the task, begun in the 1920s, of transcribing and editing the … Continue reading →

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Why Shakespeare was Shakespeare, Mr Emmerich

Posted on October 27, 2011 by Sylvia Morris

Roland Emmerich, aiming to promote his film Anonymous, has now come up with a video giving 10 reasons why he believes that Shakespeare wasn’t Shakespeare. I’ve been trying to ignore the hype over this film, but I couldn’t resist answering … Continue reading →

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