Afleveringen
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The last time we talked about Judith Quiney was to discuss her youth as the younger sister of Susanna Shakespeare, the twin of Hamnet, and the overall blacksheep of her famous family due to her husband’s excommunication and the marriage scandal causing her father, William Shakespeare, to re-write his will to exclude Judith. The details of Judith Quiney’s life are as sparse, as they are tantalizing, and historical fiction has jumped on the opportunity to try and piece together the fragments. We welcome one such writer this week, Grace Tiffany, having just completed her second book on Judith Quiney, that offers a fictionalized rendering of what was possible for Judith in the second half of hr life, where she not only far outlived her scandalous youth, but she lived far beyond the life of her famous father, dying at the old age of 77 in 1662, close to 50 years after the death of Shakespeare himself. Get bonus episodes on Patreon
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In As You Like It, Orlando says “Which I take to be either a fool or a cipher.” that’s one of a dozen references to ciphers in Shakespeare’s plays, which reflects the place of ciphers as a common way to keep secrets, particularly among the elite, for Shakespeare’s lifetime. One of the most famous ciphers for Shakespeare’s lifetime was written between 1578 and 1584, while Shakespeare was just getting his career started in London as a playwright, when they were written by none other than Mary, Queen of Scots. For 19 years prior to her execution, Mary Queen of Scots was imprisoned in England, and during that time, she wrote extensively, including letters in code. It was known that between 1578 and 1584, just 3 years before her death, Mary wrote a series of letters in code to the French ambassador, but those letters were considered to have been lost. Surprisingly, the letters survived, but because they consist of unreadable encoded text, no one knew what they were about, and they were stored away in unrelated collections in the National Library of France, where they went unexplored, until 400 years later. In 2023, an international team of codebreakers happened to stumble upon the documents when they were looking for historical ciphers in order to crack them. They not only found Mary’s lost letters, but managed to decode them, and present the contents to the world for the first time in almost half a millennia. Lead author and Israeli computer scientist, George Lasry, is here today to tell us about the team’s efforts, the decoding process, what Mary wrote, and why it was so important for the letters to be in cipher in the first place.
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A “Last Will and Testament” is a document listing out the instructions for how to handle your remaining worldly goods after your death. It is an opportunity for the living to share their wishes from beyond the grave. In As You Like It, Orlando mentions this practice by saying “...give me the poor allottery my father left me by testament; with that I will go buy my fortunes.” In Julius Caesar the group cries out “The will! the testament!” Again in In Timon of Athens, the Painter says “performance is a kind of will or testament which argues a great sickness in his judgment that makes it.” Obviously, Shakespeare’s making a metaphorical statement in that last use of will or testament, but the references declare a history here to documenting one’s final wishes and the process of carrying out your bequests. Here today to help us explore what wills and testaments were like for the 16-17th century, who wrote them, what they included, and taking a look at the details of Shakespeare’s own will and testament, is our guest and expert in the history of wills and testaments from the 16th all the way to the 19th centuries, Laura Sangha. Get bonus episodes on Patreon
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With all the death in Shakespeare’s works, you may not be shocked that the word “Funeral” comes up in Shakespeare’s plays over 20 times, but what is surprising is that funeral ceremonies are used by Shakespeare in multiple plays to serve a specific role, almost a character in and of themselves for how they impact the plot. Most notably, and my apologies here for any spoilers, the play is still worth seeing, but there’s an elaborate funeral for Hamlet ordered by Fortinbras at the end of the play. This funeral is said to mirror the real funeral of English poet, Sir Philip Sydney that had happened in 1587.If we’re going to appreciate Shakespeare’s portrayal of Hamlet’s funeral, then it becomes important to understand how funerals worked for Shakespeare’s lifetime, what the steps and rights were involved in an official, or unofficial, service and what constituted a fitting tribute to the dead. Here today to take us through what funerals involved for the 16-17th century, why Sir Philip Sydney’s service was so remarkable, and what all of this history means we should notice when we see funerals used for dramatic impact in Shakespeare’s plays, is our guest, and author of “Death, Religion, and the Family in England 1480-1760", Ralph Houlbrooke. Get bonus episodes on Patreon
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The Curtain Theatre was built in 1577 in a section of London called Shoreditch. Constructed only about 200 yards, or 600 feet, away from The Theater, which is the building James and Richard Burbage built as the first purpose built theater in London. For context, this distance about half a city block in Manhattan, and little less than 1 city block in Chicago. In 1585, the Burbages took advantage of this close proximity and struck a deal with the owner of The Curtain to use it as a second performance venue. From 1597-1599, The Curtain was home to the Lord Chamberlain’s Men and saw the staging of some of Shakespeare’s most famous plays including Romeo and Juliet, and Henry IV Part 1 and 2. The Curtain also staged contemporary plays by John Marston and even one production of Ben Jonson's Every Man in His Humour in 1598, which is a significant production for Shakespeare history, since William Shakespeare was listed as a member of the cast, making The Curtain theater a place we know Shakespeare would have performed himself. There are no records of the Curtain after 1627, so historians are unclear what happened to cause the theater space to be closed down, but a recent development of a square in Shoreditch is bringing The Curtain back to life by having uncovered remains of The Curtain theater that have not only been preserved, but are being showcased as the new Museum of Shakespeare in London, that will allow patrons to literally stand where Shakespeare once stood. Here today to share with us the details behind the dig, and how you can visit the Museum of Shakespeare, is our guest, and lead archaeologist for the excavation with the Museum of London Archaeology, Heather Knight. Get bonus episodes on Patreon
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In Shakespeare’s Two Gentlemen of Verona, Proteus says “Here's too small a pasture for such store of muttons.” Proteus is speaking metaphorically here, but the phrase refers to the relationship between animals raised in a field, and then processed for food to be stored away in a cache that can be drawed upon for consuming later. Stephano, in the Tempest, shares the location of his store of wine, saying “The whole butt, man: my cellar is in a rock by the sea-side where my wine is hid.” Indicating that a cellar was one place to store bottles of wine long term. Both of these references demonstrate for us that 16th-17th century society was familiar with the idea of storing fresh food for the winter, but it leaves us with the question of what exactly was a “store of muttons,” for example? I mean, Shakespeare and his contemporaries didn’t have refrigeration, so what methods were used to keep fresh meat from going rancid? Back with us again this week, to help us understand Tudor and Renaissance England food preservation methods, as well as storage options, like cellars, is our guest and food historian, Neil Buttery. Get bonus episodes on Patreon
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William Shakespeare never mentions the celebration of Candlemas by name in his works, but we know Shakespeare was involved in the celebration of Candlemas in 1602 from a diary entry written by a man named John Manningham, who wrote about attending a performance of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, on February 2 of that year, the traditional Feast Day of Candlemas.This 1602 performance took place at Middle Temple Hall, one of the ancient and prestigious training and education establishments for lawyers in the heart of London. Shakespeare also spent Candlemas in other years with his acting troupe at the royal court, producing plays for Elizabeth I and James I.
What was Candlemas? How was it celebrated? Why was Shakespeare involved in staging plays for the Queen and King? What did they look like, and why were they performed on Candlemas? Who was there? And what do we know about how the plays were received?
To answer these questions, and to introduce us to the holiday of Candlemas, and to Shakespeare as a court performer, welcome to our guest Brett Dolman, historian and curator at Hampton Court Palace, where Shakespeare himself once performed.
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Shakespeare uses the phrase, “Hue and cry” twice in his plays. Once in Henry IV Part 1and again inMerry Wives of Windsor. In the Middle Ages, this phrase represented acivilian peacekeeping effort that remained officially on the books in England until the19thcentury. Amounting, on an extremely basic level, to what those in the US mayrecognize as a “citizen’s arrest,” hue and cry allowed the average person to performpolicing duties in the face of witnessing a crime. Hue and Cry remained active as apunitive measure for Shakespeare’s lifetime and here today to explain for us exactlywhat it means to “raise and hue and cry” in both legal and practical terms, as well aswho was allowed to use this method of civic policing, along with why and when it wasuseful, is our guest, Samatha Sagui Get bonus episodes on Patreon
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The spectacular downfall of King Richard II, followed by the successors Henry IV and then Henry V, are famously depicted in Shakespeare’s plays. The Life and Death of King Richard II is a prequel to what’s known as Shakespeare’s Henriad plays, or the Henry Plays, consisting of Henry IV Part 1, Henry IV part 2, and Henry V. Richard II is believed to have been written around 1595, and while the plays tow the line in terms of what Tudor monarchs would have wanted you to believe the histories of these men, there are some places where Shakespeare’s version conflicts with known history about Richard II and Henry IV. Our guest this week has recently completed a book on both these Kings of England, titled appropriately, THE EAGLE AND THE HART: The Tragedy of Richard II and Henry IV, in which she details the real history of two of the most famous, yet also two of the most often misunderstood (thanks in no small part to Shakespeare) Kings of England. To help us wade into Shakespeare’s history plays and sort out fact from fiction, we are delighted to welcome Helen Castor to the show today. Get bonus episodes on Patreon
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Shakespeare may not mention the word “golf” in his plays, and in exploring history, it seems that the game was a little bit obscure, certainly not something played widely, but nevertheless it was present for Shakespeare’s lifetime, with some major moments for golf history overlapping with the life of William ShakespeareFor example, it was England’s King James I, patron of Shakespeare’s company the King’s Men, who allowed golf to be played on Sundays. Here today to help us explore the history of the game of golf for Shakespeare’s lifetime, including what equipment was used, what kind of rules were in place for the game, and what archaeological records survive to tell the tale about what golf was like in the 16-17th century is our guest and founder of the Society of Golf Historians, Connor Lewis. Get bonus episodes on Patreon
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January 6 is the day that many celebrate a holiday called Epiphany, the first manifestation of Jesus as the Son of God to the Gentiles, which happened through the visit of the Magi, or the Three Kings, who visited Jesus and brought him the now famous gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrr. The holiday was celebrated in Shakespeare’s lifetime, but just like today when the holiday is marked by cultural and regional variations for exactly what those celebrations will include, Epiphany in the 16-17th century was unique as well. Here today to walk us through the history of Epiphany and how it was celebrated in Shakespeare’s lifetime is our guest, Beatrice Groves. Get bonus episodes on Patreon
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When the weather was cold in England, it could get frigidly cold, even causing the rivers and lakes to freeze over. In Elizabethan England, you may be surprised to learn that ice sports, such as skating, even hockey, were practiced on the ice in wintertime. To share with us the history of these sports, the archaeological record that survives to demonstrate that history, as well as what we know about ice skating and physical skates that were used to accomplish these activities, is our guest and historian, Tomas Masar. Get bonus episodes on Patreon
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A drink, as much as it was songs and a group activity, wassail has been a traditional part of the Christmas season in England, and particularly a favorite of Twelfth Night celebrations, for centuries, including before and during the life of William Shakespeare. In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Lady Macbeth talks about wine and wassail going together to muddle up the brain, Falstaff mentions a wassail candle in Henry IV Part II, and three other references in Shakespeare’s plays refer to wassail as something that happened at night and existed somewhere between a greeting and something that could lead to trouble. Here today to share with us the songs from Shakespeare’s lifetime that were considered wassail songs, as well as to help us unravel the complicated history of what it meant to go wassailing from the house and how that’s related to Christmas and even apple trees, is our guest and musical historian, Debi Simons.
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Shakespeare’s plays mention horses over 300 times across his works, reflecting the huge place in the every day lives of people that this animal occupied. For something that was so essential for travel and for work, it makes sense that a horse owner would want to make sure their horse received the best of care. The art of horse doctoring in the 16th century generally fell under the purview of the blacksmith, who was responsible for the horse shoeing. The word for practicing medicine on animals for the medieval period was known as “marshalcy” in English, and it comes from the word “menescalia” in Catalan. Today, they are best known as farriers. Our guest this week, Carmel Ferragud, is an expert in the history of veterinarian medicine and specifically the history of Marshalcy. Today he joins us to discuss the activities of the 16th century farrier, what kind of medical care was available for animals in the 16-17th century, and exactly what veterinarian medicine would have been like for Shakespeare’s lifetime. Get bonus episodes on Patreon
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Mead has been made since ancient times and is the poster drink for historical gatherings, often being carried around in a large mug. You may know that this beverage is alcoholic, but you may be surprised to learn how it is different from other alcoholic drinks, particularly in the 16th century. If you look up mead today, it’s known as a honey wine and can be mixed with a variety of herbs and spices, and as the recipes describe it, mead starts to sound more like a beer than a wine, and since wine is made from grapes, not honey, you may confused about what makes a “honey wine” like mead. To learn more about what defines this classic historic brew, and how that’s different from other varieties of distilled or fermented beverages, as well as to walk through the history of how to make mead, we are delighted to welcome our guest, Laura Angotti. Get bonus episodes on Patreon
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In Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, the nurse complains of a headache saying “Lord, how my head aches! what a head have I! It beats as it would fall in twenty pieces.” In 1582, Bartholomew the Englishman’s 13th century text was reprinted in London, describing a condition called “emigraina” that Bartholomew defined as “similar to hammers beating in the head.” Whether it was called emigraina, head aches, or megrym, as some contemporary accounts have called it, it is plain that migraines were a common problem for Shakespeare’s England, with proposed solutions ranging from mild tonics and elixirs, all the way to dangerous blood letting and even brain surgery. Here this week to help us understand the history of migraines, their diagnosis, and their treatment, for the 16-17th century is our guest and author of the chapter titled “History of migraine” in the Handbook of Clinical Neurology, Dr. Peter Koehler.
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Samoset is a name spoken with respect around American dinner tables every November as we celebrate Thanksgiving, when Samoset is remembered with gratitude, for being willing to bridge the language gap for the English colonists who had just arrived at Plymouth. While Samoset’s visit to the colonists happened 5 years after Shakespeare’s death, the rest of Samoset’s life is actually contemporary with Shakespeare, spanning from the 1590s through the mid 1600s, which is why Samoset is our topic for our Thanksgiving episode this year, so we can get to know more of the backstory of this man whose contact with the Pilgrims you may remember, but whose life story may be new for you, as it was for me. Here today to share the life of Samoset and what led up to him making contact with the Pilgrims at Plymouth in the 1620s is our guest, and author of the book titled “Here First, Samoset and the Wawenock of Pemaquid, Maine” Jody Bacheldor Get bonus episodes on Patreon
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Shakespeare has all kinds of references to doors in his works, at least 195 instances of the actual word “door” in fact, and for many of us, we probably gloss over the word ‘Door” thinking we understand what he’s talking about. However, architectural history tells us that doors were actually quite different for Shakespeare’s lifetime than what we have today from how they were made, to how they were constructed, and even how they were locked. Our guest this week, James Campbell is an expert in architectural history and joins us today to help us understand more about what doors were like in the 16-17th century including what kind Shakespeare might have had on his house.
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All 4 of Shakespeare’s references to the word “gamut” show up in his play Taming of the Shrew where the characters talk about learning, and teaching, the “gamut.” If you’ve ever heard the expression “run the gamut” or “cover the gamut” these expressions are based on an 11th century understanding of the word “gamut” developed by the musician and monk named Guido d'Arezzo, who used the term to described a whole range of notes. While there was no national standard of education in England for Shakespeare’s lifetime, knowing about music, how to play, and scales like that of D’Arezzo, were considered a sign of nobility, which is the cultural perspective Shakespeare utilizes when he puts a gamut in his play. Here today to share with us the history of the gamut, the 16th century musicians contemporary with Shakespeare that might have influenced the musical scenes of this play, as well as what exactly is meant by the phrase “run the gamut” is our guest and professor at the O’Neill Hall of Music at the University of Notre Dame, Alexander Blachly. Get bonus episodes on Patreon
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Tomorrow night, November 5, is when many in England will celebrate an occasion known as Bonfire Night. They celebrate this day to mark the moment King James I was saved from the Gunpowder Plot (along with many in his government) when Guy Fawkes was thwarted in his attempt to blow up England’s Parliament using gunpowder hidden beneath the building during an official government meeting. The event was a terrorist attack of the 17th century, to put the plot in contemporary terms, and the aftermath in England impacted William Shakespeare personally. Newly minted as the King’s Men in 1603, the gunpowder plot is taking place just two years later, in 1605. Just one month after the Gunpowder Plot in December of 1605, Shakespeare writes King Lear, which contains many nods to the state of James’ government, but the real play most connected to The Gunpowder Plot has to be Macbeth, which I argue was the play whose performance would silence all doubt about William Shakespeare’s involvement, or suspected treasonous connections, in the aftermath of The Gunpowder Plot of 1605. Here today to walk us through the history of this event, and help us understand how the Gunpowder Plot connected to Shakespeare, is our guest, James Travers. Get bonus episodes on Patreon
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