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Category Archives: Shakespeare’s World
More matter for a May morning: Gerarde’s Herball and Shakespeare
After a few days away out of reach of the internet I returned home to find a new Shakespeare controversy had erupted. Country Life, not normally known for its Shakespeare content, had published a “Special Historic Edition” on 20 May … Continue reading
Posted in Legacy, Shakespeare's World
Tagged Country Life, Dodoens, gardening, Herball, John Gerard, John Gerarde, Mark Griffiths
Comments Off on More matter for a May morning: Gerarde’s Herball and Shakespeare
Sir Walter Ralegh and the vagaries of politics
I’m writing this post on the day of the General Election, 7 May 2015, and by the time you read it most of the results will be in. All the indications are that there will be no clear winner, leading … Continue reading
Posted in Shakespeare's World, Sources
Tagged Elizabeth 1, Fuller's Worthies of England, General Election, Mathew Lyons, Plutarch, Sir Walter Ralegh, Sir Walter Raleigh, Sonnet 25
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Love, whose month is ever May
Mayday has long been celebrated as the real beginning of spring, marking the return of life after the cold and dark of winter. Nicholas Breton, writing in Fantasticks, describes the pleasures of the month: “It is now May, and the sweetness … Continue reading
Posted in Shakespeare's World
Tagged A Midsummer Night's Dream, hobby horse, John Stow, May, Mayday, maypole, morris dancing, Nicholas Breton, Padstow, Phillip Stubbes, tradition
6 Comments
Celebrating Shakespeare’s birthday on foot and screen
My last blog post looked at some of the more official celebrations of Shakespeare’s birthday being held in Stratford, London, New York and Washington DC. This time I’m filling in some of the gaps by including some links to other … Continue reading
Posted in Shakespeare's World, Stratford-upon-Avon
Tagged Agas Map, Footprints of London, London, New York, ShaLT, Sonnet Project, sonnet Slam, Stratford Town Walks, Stratford-upon-Avon
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The sweet birds, O, how they sing!
Standing on the aptly-named Swallow Point, a promontory overlooking the Bristol Channel a week or so ago with some local birdwatchers, I was reminded what an exciting time this is for wildlife. They noted how many of the birds flying … Continue reading
Posted in Shakespeare's World
Tagged birds, blackbird, British Library, Herball, John Gerarde, Mary Arden's Farm, Richard Morris, swallow
2 Comments
Stratford’s alehouses: the Dirty Duck
In 1556 John Shakespeare’s first official appointment in Stratford was as ale-taster, requiring him to check the measures, prices and quality of beer provided by inn-keepers. As a market-town, Stratford always provided refreshment to visitors, locals and traders, and by … Continue reading
Posted in Legacy, Shakespeare's World, Stratford-upon-Avon
Tagged ale, beer, Black Swan, deer-stealing, Dirty Duck, Flowers Brewery, Leonard Parrish, public houses, Thomas Lucy
3 Comments
Looking forward to spring and the art of the garden
The British love affair with gardening is well-known, and opening on 20 March and running until 11 October is an exhibition at the Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace called Painting Paradise: The Art of the Garden. Building on the success of … Continue reading
Posted in Legacy, Shakespeare's World, Stratford-upon-Avon
Tagged Buckingham Palace, gardens, National Trust, The Winter's Tale, Thomas Tusser, Wolf Hall
1 Comment
“Go ply thy needle”: embroidery in Tudor England
One of the great pleasures of the BBC series Wolf Hall, adapted from Hilary Mantel’s novels, has been to admire the costumes worn by the king and his court, from the scarlet robes of Cardinal Wolsey and the magnificence of … Continue reading
Posted in Legacy, Shakespeare's World
Tagged Ashmolean Museum, BBC, Ely, embroidery, Hilary Mantel, Mark Rylance, Mary Queen of Scots, needlework, sewing, Victoria and Albert Museum, Wolf Hall
3 Comments
Chinese Shakespeares
Thursday, 19th February is the Chinese New Year, the Year of the Goat, Sheep or Ram. The biggest celebrations outside China are held in London, which testifies to the internationalism of the English capital. The main festivities will take place over … Continue reading
Posted in Legacy, Shakespeare's World
Tagged Alex Huang, China, Chinese New Year, Globe to Globe, Royal Shakespeare Company, Shanghai, translation, World Shakespeare Festival
Comments Off on Chinese Shakespeares
“Let me see your archery”: from deadly conflict to courtly leisure
More than one scene in the TV series Wolf Hall has shown gentlemen and ladies of the court of Henry VIII practicing archery as a pastime. And in Shakespeare’s Love’s Labour’s Lost the Princess of France and her ladies take aim … Continue reading
Posted in Shakespeare's World, Stratford-upon-Avon
Tagged archery bow, arrow, cupid, Henry VIII, John Stow, London, Love's Labour's Lost, Mary Rose, Wolf Hall
Comments Off on “Let me see your archery”: from deadly conflict to courtly leisure