The ‘divine right of kings’ may sound obsolete, but it has resonances today. Richard II asks what it means to have power, to take power – and what we’re left with when it’s gone.
Hamlet, Act I, Scene 4 – Robert Thew and Henry Fuseli (1796).
Wikimedia Commons.
There is an interesting new story emerging about the lengths of speeches in early modern plays. In the space of five years there was a dramatic shift in style – and it wasn’t just Shakespeare.
RIchard Burbage: actor, theatre owner and entrepreneur. Born, January 5 1558, died March 12 1619.
Unknown artist
When the Spanish ambassador to Elizabeth I’s court was implicated in a plot to kill her, he was protected by the fledgling laws of diplomacy.
People hold up face masks with Shakespeare’s portrait during celebrations to mark the 400th anniversary of his death this year. It was a completely different story when he died.
Dylan Martinez/Reuters
This year, the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death has been marked by a flood of events around the world. But why did his exit cause so little public grief at the time, in and beyond the country of his birth?
An artwork by James C. Christensen, which represents Shakespeare with characters from all of his plays.
Tracy Lee/Flickr
Attributing a Shakespeare work to another writer attracts plenty of critics. But an attribution specialist says his team’s decision to name Christopher Marlowe as a co-author is based on state of the art research.