Yes, Shakespeare can be fun! See all our Shakespeare blog posts below that relate to fun. This could be anything from an infographic explaining which Shakespeare play to watch, to a post on Shakespearean puns…
The Shakespeare Ladies Club: The Forgotten Women Who Brought Shakespeare Back to Life
When you think of Shakespeare’s survival through the centuries, chances are you picture dusty scholars in dimly lit libraries, or perhaps famous actors strutting the boards of the Globe. But … Read more
The Career Value of Strong Writing Skills
No matter the field, strong writing is one of the clearest indicators of professional competence. Whether you are drafting client emails, outlining project proposals, or summarizing research, your ability to … Read more
Hamlet Performed In Grand Theft Auto
History was made yesterday, Monday 4th July at 7.45 pm (UK time) when “the first ever full production of Hamlet inside Grand Theft Auto Online” was live-streamed on YouTube. The … Read more
Is Film Star Anne Hathaway Really A Reincarnation Of Shakespeare’s Wife?
Here at No Sweat Shakespeare we are very busy dealing with questions and comments. They are usually to do with students’ homework and assignments. However, sometimes we get questions that … Read more
Shakespeare & The Knock Knock Joke
“Knock knock” jokes are the first jokes kids respond to and laugh at as their reasoning faculties begin to develop. The linguistic trick clicks in and they laugh. The ability … Read more
‘Bodkin’? What Exactly Is A Bodkin?
“Bodkin” is one of those lovely Middle English words that adorn Elizabethan plays but that we don’t use anymore. We use the word “stiletto” for the Middle English word “bodkin” … Read more
How To Write An Elizabethan Play
There were no theatres in London when Shakespeare was born. The first purpose-built theatre, simply named ‘The Theatre,’ opened when he was 12. It was so popular that others were … Read more
Shakespeare Was The Great English Writer… Was He Also The Greatest Plagiarist?
It depends. You decide. In our time, a writer who has plagiarized something is considered a serious offender. If caught, they find themselves ostracised by the professional community in which … Read more
Is ‘The Gods Are Bastards’ A Shakespeare Phrase?
‘The Gods Are Bastards’ is not a phrase that appears either in Shakespeare’s plays or his poems: it is the title of a popular web serial novel by D.D. Webb … Read more
Fires of Invention Deck
Before Shakespeare’s play Henry V opens, an actor, as the Chorus, comes on to the stage and introduces the play. This is where we find the three words fire, inventio, … Read more
Just What Does ‘Hugger-Mugger’ Mean?
When Elizabethans did something ‘hugger-mugger‘ it meant they were doing it in secret. It’s an archaic expression, and not an idiom, so it is never used now, apart from its … Read more
Easy Working Ways to Have Your Book Professionally Translated
Working on a book is a huge amount of work. And writers deserve to be renowned by the public for their endless efforts, creativity, and ideas. It is important to … Read more
‘Cozen’? What Exactly Is A Cozen?
The word “cozen” was a common Middle English word meaning to cheat, trick, deceive, or dupe. It was sometimes spelt “cozyn.” It possibly entered the English language from the French … Read more
Top 5 Shakespeare Bromances: Who Do You Ship?
Shakespeare created some of the most famous romantic couples in literature: Romeo and Juliet, Antony and Cleopatra, Othello and Desdemona, etc. But what about the Shakespeare bromances? Those are pretty … Read more
Shakespeare Aesthetic Moodboards: Find Your Favorite Look!
Aesthetic moodboards have been all the rage on social media lately – especially the literary “academia” aesthetic. So, we thought, why not take those aesthetic moodboards and create some outfits … Read more
Was Shakespeare Rich?
Today, William Shakespeare is acknowledged as one of the most important writers in the English language, of any era, and perhaps the best of all time… but many people still … Read more
Shakespeare References To Sports & Games
When we talk to each other we make linguistic shortcuts by using metaphors, which we get from the large range of the activities that we share. One of those is … Read more
NoSweatShakespeare Debut On ‘That Shakespeare Life’ Podcast!
I was recently invited to do a podcast for That Shakespeare Life with Cassidy Cash, discussing Sir William D’Avenant. I jumped at the chance, went and read up on him … Read more
Edward De Vere: Shakespeare’s True Identity?
Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford, is a name that evokes curiosity from some and frustration from others. Today, it is most commonly associated with theories about Shakespeare’s supposed … Read more
Hamlet / Lion King: Imitation or Inspired Creation?
Is The Lion King based on Hamlet? To some extent, yes, though there are a number of differences too. A word of caution, however. One cannot uproot a work of … Read more
Romeo and Juliet Songs
Ever wondered why there are so many Romeo and Juliet songs kicking around? Of all of Shakespeare’s plays, Romeo and Juliet is arguably the one that has most permeated the … Read more
The Weird Sisters and Demonology: Get Spooky with Macbeth!
The Weird Sisters: these characters elevate the story of Macbeth from typical regicide (you know, casual) to the supernatural. Think about it — without those three witches, would Macbeth have … Read more
The Case For Shakespeare Fathering William D’Avenant
[av_textblock size=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” font_color=” color=” id=” custom_class=” av_uid=’av-kfv7jz4b’ admin_preview_bg=”] If you like conspiracy theories, here’s one Shakespeare would probably not have thanked you for. In the years after … Read more
What Exactly Is A ‘Flibbertigibbit’?
‘Flibbertigibbit’ is a word that has been kicked around like a soccer ball, going right back to its Medieval origins, having a slightly different meaning with almost every traceable incidence. … Read more
‘Original Pronunciation’: Understanding Shakespeare’s Pronunciation
Original pronunciation (also known as “OP” or “Shakespeare’s pronunciation”) is the concept of understanding, performing, or listening to Shakespeare’s works as they would have been spoken during Shakespeare’s time. If … Read more
‘Thinking Like Shakespeare’, A Book Review
I have come across a book whose title compelled me to open it as it lay on my desk among other new books. Like the book’s contents, the title is … Read more
The Top 5 Shakespearean Betrayals… And How To Avoid Them!
Let’s talk about Shakespeare and betrayal. You know those jaw-dropping moments in reality TV where best friends secretly trash-talk each other, or someone is dating two people at once, or … Read more
‘How Do I Love Thee’… Is It Shakespeare?
How do I love thee is a phrase that could very easily come from Shakespeare – perhaps from one of his sonnets. The line is from a sonnet and it … Read more
4 Fun Malapropisms From Shakespeare’s Dogberry in Much Ado About Nothing
With theaters closed for social distancing these days, some have suggested reading Shakespeare’s works, which a) is a great idea and b) opens up new opportunities of appreciation. So, let’s … Read more
Quoting Shakespeare Post, Bernard Levin
Although Shakespeare lived 400 years ago, his language is so ingrained in our everyday speech we’re often quoting Shakespeare without realising it. When you enter the Shakespeare Birthplace in Stratford … Read more
Shakespearean Puns
A ‘pun’ is usually defined as a play on words, or a play upon words, but it would be more accurate to describe punning as playing with the sound of … Read more
Shakespeare Inspired Novel Titles
Phrases from Shakespeare’s works have inspired writers of all nationalities for 400 years. There are thousands of novels, plays, biographies, and other books that take their titles from phrases in … Read more
Shakespeare & America
Shakespeare and America have had a long love affair. While the early American writers were struggling to find a form and a style that would give the United States a … Read more
Juliet’s Balcony, Verona
Shakespeare’s stories are so rooted in real life that it is sometimes difficult to distinguish between fact and fiction – just take ‘Juliet’s balcony‘. Although Shakespeare never visited Verona and … Read more
Suicide in Shakespeare’s Plays
This article discusses suicide in Shakespeare plays, and Elizabethan views on suicide. The society that Shakespeare creates in the world of his plays is recognisable to audiences as a representation … Read more
Shakespeare’s Top 20 Metaphors
In Shakespeare’s many works, he reflects and enhances the English language’s reputation as a metaphorical one. So many of our everyday expressions today are in fact Shakespeare metaphors – from … Read more
Shakespeare’s Best Dirty Lines & Innuendos
Elizabethan audiences loved it when the characters they were watching on the stage said something sexually suggestive. The double entendres were often more effective than today as the audiences were … Read more
Famous Last Word From Shakespeare, by Character
We are fascinated with the last words of famous people, and, indeed, some real-life last words are more than interesting in the way they connect with the speakers’ lives. In … Read more
What Are The ‘Ides of March’ & Why Beware The ‘Ides of March’?
What Is The Ides of March? The ‘ides’ was the day each month in the Roman calendar when the moon was full. The ides fell on the 15th day of … Read more
Shakespeare’s Use Of ‘Orisons’
There were several words in Shakespeare’s vocabulary that have either disappeared from the modern language or are very rarely used. ‘Orisons’ is one of those lost words. If you look … Read more
What Is The Primrose Path?
Shakespeare uses the concept of a ‘primrose path’ several times through his works – this article explores both the concept and meaning of ‘primrose path’. Shakespeare’s audience would have been … Read more
6 Literary Devices Shakespeare Most Used For Dramatic Effect
Many people think of William Shakespeare as the greatest creative writer in the history of English literature (though there are a number of other candidates), and there is good reason for that. His influence on subsequent writers – not only English writers – is far-reaching and profound.
The Ultimate Guide To Shakespeare’s Fools
The word ‘fool’ is rather loosely used these days, but it is a technical term in Shakespeare’s plays. The fool in Elizabethan drama is someone employed to entertain a king … Read more
Misquoting Shakespeare!
There’s little doubt that Shakespeare is the greatest English writer to have lived, and has of course provided the world with all manner of fantastic quotes. So it should come … Read more
Which Shakesepare Play To See? The Ultimate Infographic
Fancy taking in a Shakespeare play but not sure which one to go for? Fear not! Artist Mya Gosling at Good Tickle Brain, has put together this fantastic flow chart- … Read more
Shakespeare’s Top 10 Love Scenes
Shakespeare is renowned for creating some of the world’s top lovers. In this post, we take a look at Shakespeare’s top love scenes across all of his plays. So, in … Read more
‘I Swear I’ll Make Heaps’… William Shakespeare Anagrams!
We very happily stumbled across the wonderful AnagramGenius website this week, which truly does have some genius anagrams – including a range of Shakespeare anagrams from the ridiculous to the sublime. … Read more
“Exit, Pursued By A Bear”
‘Exit, Pursued By A Bear’ is generally considered to be the most famous of Shakespeare’s stage directions – leading up to the off stage death of Antigonus in The Winter’s Tale. And … Read more
Shakespeare’s Longest Play: Hamlet
When the curtain goes up for a performance of Romeo and Juliet Chorus steps onto the stage. He tells the audience the whole plot and says that it ‘is now … Read more
Shakespeare & The Ancient Game Of Real Tennis
Although Shakespeare was very familiar with tennis, if he had gone to Wimbledon as a spectator he would not have recognised the game. He would have gasped at the lightness … Read more
Shakespeare & The Beautiful Game of Football
When William Shakespeare was a teenager, he probably played football with the other village boys in Stratford, even though the game’s legality was a grey area – or more accurately, … Read more
Did Shakespeare Take Drugs?
Did Shakespeare take drugs? In 2001 analysis of pipe fragments from William Shakespeare’s house showed traces of cannabis, cocaine, and hallucinogenic nutmeg extracts. It’s not known whether Shakespeare himself partook … Read more
How Romantic Love Quotes by Shakespeare Can Help a Man Win a Woman’s Heart
Shakespeare has always been considered an icon of romanticism. His writings have been eternalized in many ways. His plays found their way onto stages and silver screens. Why not make … Read more
Why Did Shakespeare Set So Many Of His Plays Abroad?
We recently mapped the locations of all 37 of Shakespeare’s plays. The most interesting thing about looking at the map is just how broadly Shakespeare cast his creative web across … Read more
Shakespeare’s Words…That Didn’t Catch On
Much has been talked about Shakespeare’s innovation with words, particularly his creation of thousands of words and phrases now in common usage as part of the English language. However, even … Read more
Thee and Thou – What Does It All Mean?
One thing that puts people off Shakespeare is the effort needed to understand the language, particularly trying to understand the meaning of all these thees and thous! In actual fact, at … Read more
William Shakespeare & Robert Johnson – The Musical Collaboration
I’m grateful to Ed Kliman, one of our readers, for drawing my attention to the composer, Robert Johnson, the son of John Johnson, lutenist to Elizabeth I , who had … Read more
Shakespeare and Venice
It’s almost certain that Shakespeare never left the shores of England, but every year thousands of his contemporaries, wealthy young men, embarked on the ‘grand tour’ of European cities: it … Read more
Shakespeare in Tofflerland – To App Or Not To App
Shakespeare lived and wrote his plays in the era that the American futurologist, Alvin Toffler, dubbed ‘the first wave.’ That was the agrarian period between the hunter-gatherer era and the … Read more
All The Best Shakespeare Memes
We’ve been trawling the internet of late for some comedy takes on Shakespeare to share on the NoSweatShakespeare facebook page, and have stumbled across an ever-growing number of Shakespeare memes. … Read more
Shakespeare, Mathematics & The Sonnets
Who knew that Shakespeare’s sonnets and mathematics were so linked? In this super-interesting video, Professor Roger Bowley talks about the tight constraints – and shape – that numbers gave to … Read more
Working Life in Shakespeare’s England
When the young William Shakespeare went to London, almost a hundred miles away from his hometown of Stratford Upon Avon, to look for work, he was doing something unusual. Most … Read more
Shakespeare In Statistics: The Infographic
“Infographics” have been all the rage online for some time, so we thought we’d put together a Shakespeare infographic detailing lots of juicy Shakespeare statistics and information. And without further … Read more
Is It Hip Hop Or Shakespeare?
It’s Shakespeare vs hip hop! A quick pop quiz for you – do you think the quotes below are words from a hip hop track or Shakespeare play? Answers are … Read more
Shakespeare Tube Map
Wow, how did we miss this one the first time around? Apparently, the Royal Shakespeare Company had this version of the London Underground map made up many years ago, showing … Read more
Mozart, Shakespeare and Quentin Tarantino
Emotions around the current, revived debate about the Shakespeare authorship are raging. Shakespeare scholars are ‘infuriated,’ ‘outraged,’ ‘angry’ about the implications of the film Anonymous, that de Vere wrote the … Read more
Things We Say Today Which We Owe To Shakespeare
Looking something like a serial killer’s notebook, a 20-year-old London girl’s Shakespeare-related scribbles have gone viral this week. Simply writing a bunch of words and phrases Shakespeare invented (admittedly in … Read more
Nudity in Shakespeare
I read an article recently about a literature reading in Greenwich, New York, by a group going by the name of ‘Naked Girls Reading.’ The women come onstage in kimonos, … Read more
The Shakespeare Brand in the World of Commerce
There was a famous commercial on British television before the advertising of tobacco was banned in the UK media. The clip showed a decapitated Sir Francis Drake in gorgeous Elizabethan … Read more
William Shakespeare, Abraham Lincoln, John Wilkes Booth and all
It’s interesting to reflect on how deeply and broadly Shakespeare infiltrates our culture. He is everywhere in history in some context or other – something we discussed in our Shakespeare … Read more
The Curse of Macbeth, The Scottish Play
Why is Macbeth known as ‘the Scottish play’? If you’re ever involved in a production of Shakespeare’s Macbeth you should be very careful, and take precautions as there’s a curse … Read more
Shakespeare and the King James Bible
In the year in which the English-speaking world is celebrating the four hundredth year of the King James Authorised bible, it’s interesting to reflect on what a period from 1604, … Read more
Sam Wanemaker: A Shakespearean Hero
sam wannemaker at shakespeare’s globe It’s a wise child that knows its own father. (That’s a reversal of ‘It’s a wise father that knows his own child’ from Shakespeare’s … Read more
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Authorship Debate | Historic Shakespeare | Random Fun Stuff | Shakespeare Today | Shakespeare’s Works
