Shakespeare Today

Although Shakespeare lived over 400 years ago, his works are still performed around the world, his phrases and quotes are in common usage in the English language, and his legacy very much lives on. In this section of the blog, we bring you Shakespeare news, and how Shakespeare is still impacting the world of today…

The Shakespeare Ladies Club: The Forgotten Women Who Brought Shakespeare Back to Life

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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

Novels Inspired by Shakespeare

shakespeare inspired novels

William Shakespeare is one of the most influential writers in history, and his work has been adapted and reinterpreted in countless ways. Novels inspired by Shakespeare’s plays offer a unique … Read more

A Great New Book About Shakespeare’s Tragedies

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Review: Shakespeare’s Tragic Art by Rhodri Lewis Lewis writes: ‘What do you do after writing something like Hamlet?’ And indeed, he suggests an answer to his own question: ‘You might … Read more

Shakespeare’s First Folio at 400 Years Old 📖🎂

First Folio at 400 years old

As we celebrate the 400th anniversary of the publication of Shakespeare’s First Folio, the popularity of its author is stronger than it has ever been, as his reputation, already at … Read more

Treading Shakespeare’s Boards in Norfolk

Shakespeare's boards in Norfolk Guildhall

Some of Europe’s most popular tourist attractions feature Shakespeare in one way or another –theatres, the town where he grew up, the house where he was born, and so on … Read more

Ron de Santis Bans Shakespeare from Florida High Schools

ron de santis bans shakespeare

In recent months, there has been a trend in Florida to restrict the teaching of Shakespeare in high schools. This is one of the casualties of the passage of laws … Read more

The Role of English Literature in Expanding Vocabulary and Language Proficiency

The role of English literature in expanding vocabulary and language

English literature is important in the worlds of language and education. From Shakespeare’s plays to modern novels, English literature has not only delighted readers for centuries, but it has also … Read more

Titus Andronicus Review, The Globe Theatre 2023

titus andronicus, the globe 2023 review

Violence? What violence? Titus Andronicus was hugely popular when it came out in 1594. Since then, until the twenty-first century, it was largely ignored, probably because its violence was too … Read more

Henry V Review, The Globe Theatre 2022

Oliver Johnston plays Henry V

The Globe’s breathtaking Henry V. This is a very intelligent working of Shakespeare’s text. That’s the first thing to say, and the second is that Oliver Johnstone’s performance as Henry … Read more

Midsummer Mechanicals Review, The Sam Wanamaker Theatre At The Globe, 2022

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If kids love a show written and staged for kids then it doesn’t matter what the grown-ups think, and while Splendid Productions’ Midsummer Mechanicals confused at least one grown up … Read more

The Tempest Review, The Globe Theatre 2022

the tempest 2022, globe theatre

Bravo, bravo and double bravo! This is not only one of Shakespeare’s greatest entertainments with its almost continuous music, including several songs, its magic, lots of belly-laughing comedy, including slapstick, … Read more

Hamlet Performed In Grand Theft Auto

hamlet 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

King Lear Review, The Globe Theatre 2022

Kathryn Hunter in King Lear at Shakespeare’s Globe, London

King Lear has been called Shakespeare’s greatest play. It has also been said that it’s impossible to make it work on the stage. Those contradictory statements may both be true. … Read more

Henry VIII Review, The Globe Theatre, June 2022

Anna Savya and Adam Gillen in Henry VIII

It’s easy to say, as the Globe’s publicity for this production does, that the play was written by William Shakespeare and John Fletcher “in collaboration with Hannah Khalil.” But four … Read more

Julius Caesar Review, The Globe Theatre, May 2022

Picture Dickon Tyrell as Julius Caesar

With a cast of only eight actors, bringing this great play, which has some of Shakespeare’s major roles and scores of minor characters, with battle-ground and civil crowd scenes, to … Read more

Much Ado About Nothing Review, The Globe Theatre, May 2022

George Fouracres as Dogberry - picture by Manuel Harlan

The Globe has opened its summer season with an energetic, very funny and all-round entertaining Much Ado About Nothing. It’s a conservative treatment that pays close attention to Shakespeare’s intentions … Read more

Are You Calling Shakespeare A Thief?

shakespeare the thief

A recent article in the UK’s Guardian was headlined “New evidence suggests Shakespeare may have stolen the plot of Cymbeline.” Well! Using legal language like “evidence” and “stolen,” its author … Read more

Hamlet Review, Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, February 2022

George Fouracres as Hamlet

The Sam Wanamaker Playhouse’s Hamlet could be termed “a play by Sean Holmes, based on an idea by William Shakespeare” for all the connection Holmes’s production has to Shakespeare’s text … Read more

Is It Time To Cancel Shakespeare?

juliet stevenson - wants to cancel Shakespeare?

Is it really time to cancel Shakespeare? The much-admired English actor, Juliet Stevenson, who has played many of Shakespeare’s main female protagonists, wrote an article in The Sunday Times recently, … Read more

The Tragedy of Macbeth, Joel Cohen: Review

Francis McDermot and Denzil Washington

Joel Coen’s 2021 film “The Tragedy of Macbeth” is a tale of two stories – Shakespeare’s and Coen’s – and the result is a remarkable film. If the point of … Read more

Measure For Measure, Sam Wannamaker Playhouse: Review

Daniel Miller as the Provost in Measure for Measure

Measure for Measure, running until 15th January 2022 at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, has been termed a “problem play” because, while it has a comic structure … Read more

Is Film Star Anne Hathaway Really A Reincarnation Of Shakespeare’s Wife?

adam shulman and anne hathaway

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

Review: ‘Doing Shakespeare’ at the Bridewell Theatre

Doing Shakespeare cast

A group of six amateur thespians in the village of Felching are putting on a Shakespeare play. In spite of having a very limited knowledge or understanding of the Bard … Read more

Chiswick Playhouse’s All Women Macbeth: Review

all women macbeth at chiswick playhouse

A group of players with nothing more than a small acting space, a few crates to be used as tables, a throne, a scaffold, and some black drapes with multiple … Read more

‘Telling Tales’: Half Term Fun at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre

Telling Tales at the Globe Theatre

Shakespeare still offers the greatest fun, of any writer, for children. The Globe Theatre confirms that with its half-term attraction, Telling Tales. On a day out to the iconic theatre … Read more

Elizabethan Theatre Lives on in Today’s World

modern theatre

There are thousands of writers and actors all around the country who work in groups and make artistic decisions with their fellows. That’s a lot of fun. All player companies … Read more

Metamorphoses at The Globe Theatre: Review

Fiona Hampton in Ovid, by Helen Murray

Strong on theatre, flimsy on drama, great on storytelling This is the first test of the Globe’s new writers-in-residence, Sami Ibrahim, Laura Lomas, and Sabrina Mahfouz, three experienced young playwrights, … Read more

Introducing Children To Shakespeare – A Midsummer Night’s Dream at The Globe Theatre

a midsummer night's dream for children at the globe theatre

[av_textblock size=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” font_color=” color=” id=” custom_class=” av_uid=’av-3hm1rxml’ admin_preview_bg=”] By Ralph Goldswain Earlier this week I went to a session of Playing Shakespeare with Deutsche Bank.  It is … Read more

Twelfth Night Review, The Globe Theatre, August 2021

twelfth night review the globel theatre

[av_textblock size=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” font_color=” color=” id=” custom_class=” av_uid=’av-3hm1rxml’ admin_preview_bg=”] By Ralph Goldswain Sean Holmes’s production of Twelfth Night at The Globe Theatre is characterised by inventions and innovations … Read more

The Comedy of Errors, RSC Stratford, July 2021 Review

comedy of errors, rsc, 2021

[av_textblock size=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” font_color=” color=” id=” custom_class=” av_uid=’av-3hm1rxml’ admin_preview_bg=”] By Ralph Goldswain The Comedy of Errors is on at the RSC’s Lydia and Manfred Gorvy Garden Theatre until … Read more

Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, June 2021 Review

Globe Theatre 2021 Romeo and Juliet review

Ola Ince’s production of Romeo and Juliet is very contemporary. Shakespeare’s friend, Ben Jonson, wrote, in the Preface to The First Folio, that Shakespeare was not of an age, but … Read more

Shit Faced Shakespeare: Macbeth, Leicester Square Theatre, June 2021

shit-faced-shakespeare-macbeth-cast

[av_textblock size=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” font_color=” color=” id=” custom_class=” av_uid=’av-3hm1rxml’ admin_preview_bg=”] By Ralph Goldswain What could be better than a walk about London’s West End on a warm July evening, … Read more

Review of Romeo and Juliet, Regent’s Park Open Air Theater, June 2021

romeo-juliet-regents-park-review

To be at the theatre at last, with a large audience humming with anticipation as the curtain-up time approaches, is one of the best moments among those things that are … Read more

BBC and The Royal Shakespeare Company’s The Winter’s Tale, 2021 – A Screen Adaptation

RSC

[av_textblock size=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” font_color=” color=” av-desktop-hide=” av-medium-hide=” av-small-hide=” av-mini-hide=” id=” custom_class=” av_uid=”] By Ralph Goldswain Erica Whyman’s RSC production has had a difficult birth. With its upcoming performances … Read more

Shakespeare Aesthetic Moodboards: Find Your Favorite Look!

Shakespeare aesthetic moodboard of Viola and Cesario from Twelfth Night

[av_textblock size=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” font_color=” color=” id=” custom_class=” av_uid=’av-kkn6b2a1′ admin_preview_bg=”] Aesthetic moodboards have been all the rage on social media lately – especially the literary “academia” aesthetic. So, we … Read more

Shakespeare References To Sports & Games

medieval falconry

[av_textblock size=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” font_color=” color=” id=” custom_class=” av_uid=’av-kijbdsx9′ admin_preview_bg=”] When we talk to each other we make linguistic shortcuts by using metaphors, which we get from the large … Read more

William Shakespeare New Year’s Resolutions

shakespeare new years resolutions

[av_textblock size=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” font_color=” color=” id=” custom_class=” av_uid=’av-108vycf’ admin_preview_bg=”] As we open our eyes to another new year, custom dictates we make the odd new year’s resolution to … Read more

10 Ways To Improve Your English Writing Skills In 15 Mins Per Day

writing with coffee

[av_testimonials style=’grid’ columns=’1′ grid_style=” font_color=” custom_title=” custom_content=” interval=’5′ alb_description=” id=” custom_class=” av_uid=’av-kg6mr1gz’ admin_preview_bg=”] [av_testimonial_single src=’1025837′ name=’Written by Jennifer Lockman’ subtitle=’Written by Jennifer Lockman Jennifer is a passionate, custom essay writer … Read more

Shakespeare’s Language

Shakespeare's language featured

Contrary to popular belief, Shakespeare did not write in Old or Early English. Shakespeare’s language was actually Early Modern English, also known as Elizabethan English – much of which is … Read more

Top 50 Virtual Learning Resources for Shakespeare

Photo of a virtual learning setup with laptop, notebook, and mug

[av_textblock size=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” font_color=” color=” id=” custom_class=” av_uid=’av-kgdrfe9y’ admin_preview_bg=”] Now that virtual learning has brought us from blackboards to Zoom calls, you might be struggling with either learning … Read more

Hamlet / Lion King: Imitation or Inspired Creation?

hamlet lion king characters

[av_textblock size=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” font_color=” color=” id=” custom_class=” av_uid=’av-kg22rrau’ admin_preview_bg=”] Is The Lion King based on Hamlet? To some extent, yes, though there are a number of differences too. … Read more

Romeo and Juliet Songs

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

What Exactly Is A ‘Flibbertigibbit’?

flibbertigibbet

[av_textblock size=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” font_color=” color=” id=” custom_class=” av_uid=’av-kfs3gcin’ admin_preview_bg=”] ‘Flibbertigibbit’ is a word that has been kicked around like a soccer ball, going right back to its Mediaeval … Read more

4 Of Shakespeare’s Underrated Women Go Dating Online

tamora dating profile

[av_textblock size=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” font_color=” color=” id=” custom_class=” av_uid=’av-kgflrk95′ admin_preview_bg=”] We all know the stories of Juliet and Ophelia, but do you know who Paulina is, or Mistress Overdone? … Read more

‘Original Pronunciation’: Understanding Shakespeare’s Pronunciation

Captain Barbossa - original pronunciation

[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=”] 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 … Read more

Why Is Shakespeare Still So Popular In The 21st Century?

shakespeare rubber ducks

[av_testimonials style=’grid’ columns=’1′ grid_style=” font_color=” custom_title=” custom_content=” interval=’5′ alb_description=” id=” custom_class=” av_uid=’av-kg6mn10m’ admin_preview_bg=”] [av_testimonial_single src=’1025837′ name=’Written by Harry Kelleher‘ subtitle=’Harry Kelleher is a young, creative and ambitious writer, he loves … Read more

4 Of The Top Parenting Fails From Shakespeare’s Plays

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[av_testimonials style=’grid’ columns=’1′ grid_style=” font_color=” custom_title=” custom_content=” interval=’5′ alb_description=” id=” custom_class=” av_uid=’av-kg6mp7ag’ admin_preview_bg=”] [av_testimonial_single src=’1025837′ name=’Written by Sarah St. Albin‘ subtitle=’This post was written by Sarah St. Albin, a literature … Read more

6 Tips To Better Analyze Sonnets For Your College Class

shakespeare's sonnet 20

[av_textblock size=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” font_color=” color=” id=” custom_class=” av_uid=’av-8v3filud’ admin_preview_bg=”] Students often have to analyze different forms of poetry for their literature and English composition class. It is not … Read more

Six Fun Mystery Novels Involving the Bard

Interred with their bones

If you love Shakespeare – and Shakespeare books – but are looking for something a little more modern and nail-biting to spice up your reading list, here are six mystery-style … Read more

Amplifying Diversity: 10 Pieces of Shakespearean Scholarship By Black Authors

Shakespeare bookcovers by black authors

    [av_hr class=’custom’ height=’50’ shadow=’no-shadow’ position=’center’ custom_border=’av-border-thin’ custom_width=’100px’ custom_border_color=” custom_margin_top=’30px’ custom_margin_bottom=’30px’ icon_select=’yes’ custom_icon_color=’#2997ab’ icon=’ue837′ font=’entypo-fontello’] [av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=”] Articles “‘Obscured by Dreams’: Race, Empire, and Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s … Read more

A Brief Note On Riots And Shakespeare

Astor Place riot

[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=”] Shakespeare’s career was shaped by riots, contemporary as well as historical. Romeo and Juliet and Coriolanus both respond to social upheaval during his lifetime (labor-related for the former; food-related for … Read more

Shakespeare Quotes On The Coronavirus Pandemic

Shakespeare in coronavirus facemask

[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=”] Although he lived over 400 years ago, Shakespeare has something to say for all times, proven by the quotes from his works below that can be … Read more

7 Dating Mistakes Shakespeare’s Characters Made (So You Don’t Have To!)

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[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=”] Maybe the course of true love never did run smooth, but we sure can help it along! Shakespeare’s characters may have been in love over 400 … Read more

16 Must See Places In London for Shakespeare Fans

the george inn exterior, ancient pub

[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=”] Whilst Stratford-upon-Avon is well known as Shakespeare’s home town, London is often overlooked as a travel destination to connect with Shakespeare – other than perhaps taking … Read more

Guidelines for Writing A Great Hamlet Analysis Essay

essay writing

[av_testimonials style=’grid’ columns=’1′ grid_style=” font_color=” custom_title=” custom_content=” interval=’5′ alb_description=” id=” custom_class=” av_uid=’av-kg6mr1gz’ admin_preview_bg=”] [av_testimonial_single src=’1025837′ name=’Written by Beverly Adams’ subtitle=’Beverly Adams is a professional writer. She specializes in writing education-related … Read more

Quoting Shakespeare Post, Bernard Levin

quoting shakesepare poster

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

Stanley Wells, Shakespeare Expert

stanley wells photograph in black and white

[av_textblock size=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” font_color=” color=” id=” custom_class=” av_uid=’av-khvyljbn’ admin_preview_bg=”] Having just been on a Shakespeare fact-finding mission in Stratford upon Avon, one name that kept on cropping up … Read more

Shakespeare Quotes for Valentines Day

shakespeare love quote for valentines day on red rose backgrounnd - 'you have witchcraft in your lips'

[av_section min_height=’25’ min_height_px=’500px’ padding=’default’ shadow=’no-shadow’ bottom_border=’no-border-styling’ bottom_border_diagonal_color=’#333333′ bottom_border_diagonal_direction=” bottom_border_style=” id=” color=’main_color’ custom_bg=” src=’https://nosweatshakespeare.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Untitled-design-9.jpg’ attachment=’1022967′ attachment_size=’full’ attach=’scroll’ position=’center center’ repeat=’stretch’ video=” video_ratio=’16:9′ overlay_opacity=’0.5′ overlay_color=” overlay_pattern=” overlay_custom_pattern=”] [av_hr class=’invisible’ height=’100′ shadow=’no-shadow’ position=’center’ … Read more

Shakespeare’s Stage Directions

exit pursued by a bear stage direction

[av_textblock] Reading Shakespeare’s original scripts can sometimes throw up issues around understanding – not just understanding the words of the characters, but also understanding Shakespeare’s stage directions. This article explains … Read more

Shakespeare Inspired Novel Titles

shakespeare inspired novel titles

[av_textblock size=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” font_color=” color=” id=” custom_class=” av_uid=’av-2fm0f2q3′ admin_preview_bg=”] Phrases from Shakespeare’s works have inspired writers of all nationalities for 400 years. There are thousands of novels, plays, … Read more

Shakespeare Inspired Operas

A photograpgh of West Side Story on stage, a Shakespeare-inspired opera

[av_textblock] Shakespeare’s themes and stories have inspired numerous operas over the years. Here’s our list of operas that have used Shakespeare as inspiration: The Tempest The Tempest by Felice Lattuada … Read more

Shakespeare Conspiracy Theory

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Did you know that there are many scholars who believe in a  Shakespeare conspiracy theory stating that Shakespeare didn’t actually write the works attributed to him? This Shakespeare conspiracy theory began … Read more

Juliet’s Balcony, Verona

Juliet's balcony in Verona, from which she says "a rose by any other name"

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

Shakespeare In The Park

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[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=”] The term ‘Shakespeare in the Park’ at first applied to performances of Shakespeare’s plays at the Delacorte Theatre in Central Park, New York. It has since … Read more

Romeo & Juliet Balcony Scene

Juliet's balcony in Verona, from which she says "a rose by any other name"

Act 2, Scene 2 of Romeo and Juliet – often referred to as the Romeo and Juliet balcony scene – is a central moment in Shakespeare’s play, and one that … Read more

What Are The ‘Ides of March’ & Why Beware The ‘Ides of March’?

Caesar is set upon by senators wearing white on the ides of march, in Roman play Julius Caesar

[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=”] 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 … Read more

A Guide To Writing Shakespeare Essays, Including Pitfalls & Tips

graphic of blue hand writing an essay on a sheet of paper, and two red hands holding the paper

[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=”] William Shakespeare is undoubtedly one of the most significant personalities of the world and culture in particular. This dramatist is considered to be an inventor of … Read more

Shakespearean Words That Still Hold Up Today

Three old looking books standing upright on a shelf, including the complete works of Shakespeare

[av_testimonials style=’grid’ columns=’1′ grid_style=” font_color=” custom_title=” custom_content=” interval=’5′ alb_description=” id=” custom_class=” av_uid=’av-kg6mr1gz’ admin_preview_bg=”] [av_testimonial_single src=’1025837′ name=’Written by Frank Richardson’ subtitle=’Frank Richardson is a passionate writer and blogger who tries to … Read more

50 Shakespeare Words That Have Evolved To Mean Something Very Different

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[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=”] The English language is changing all the time, or perhaps it is better to say it is developing. At any rate, it is moving. If you … Read more

Shakespeare’s Game of Thrones

Tyrion Lannister portraid by Peter Dinklage

[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=”] Game of Thrones, based on the fiction series, A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin, is the most watched English language television drama … Read more

Happy Birthday, William Shakespeare!

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[av_textblock size=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” font_color=” color=” id=” custom_class=” av_uid=’av-kfgxzosh’ admin_preview_bg=”] William Shakespeare turns 456 on 23rd of April 2020. His birthday is celebrated in thousands of places around the … Read more

Intro to Sonnets by MC Lars, Shakespeare Rapper

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[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=”] MC Lars in a Stanford English major turned rapper who raps about all things Bard related. He’s shared his latest piece with us – a great … Read more

Shakespeare’s Influence On Aspiring Writers

The Chandos portrait of WIlliam Shakespeare biography

[av_textblock size=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” font_color=” color=” id=” custom_class=” av_uid=’av-kfe87a1c’ admin_preview_bg=”] It would be an understatement to say that William Shakespeare left his mark on the world. He has left … Read more

Misquoting Shakespeare!

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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

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[av_textblock] 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 … Read more

10 Tips To Improve Your Essay Writing

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[av_testimonials style=’grid’ columns=’1′ grid_style=” font_color=” custom_title=” custom_content=” interval=’5′ alb_description=” id=” custom_class=” av_uid=’av-kg6mr1gz’ admin_preview_bg=”] [av_testimonial_single src=’1025837′ name=’Written by Marcus White’ subtitle=’Marcus works for Tavistock Tutors –  a firm that can supply … Read more

Shakespeare – A Wounded Genius

Shakespeare words

[av_textblock size=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” font_color=” color=” id=” custom_class=” av_uid=’av-kggbmqiu’ admin_preview_bg=”] Scholars, critics and other writers have been commenting on Shakespeare’s plays for four hundred years and, it seems, there … Read more

Who Shares A Birthday With Shakespeare?

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[av_textblock] In tribute to Shakespeare’s birthday (23rd April 1564) we’ve pulled together a list of other famous people who share a birthday with the Bard: Giants of Western Culture J.M.W. … Read more

Shakespeare Wades Into The UK EU Referendum Debate…

Henry V, as played by Tom Hiddleston in the BBC’s Shakespeare adaptation The Hollow Crown

…according to the Daily Mail. Great piece from A.N. Wilson looking at Shakespeare’s take on Europe – and vice versa – in response to two polititians trading Shakespeare quotes in … Read more

Drunk Shakespeare, NYC Style!

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[av_textblock] Ever get into Shakespeare discussions at your local after a pint or two? The New York-based Drunk Shakespeare crew – who recently came to our attention – take things … Read more

Shakespeare Lost & Found: Double Falsehood

double-falsehood

The eighteenth century theatre impresario, playwright and Shakespeare scholar, Lewis Theobald, staged a performance of a play titled Double Falsehood at the Drury Lane Theatre on December 13, 1727. Theobald … Read more

“Exit, Pursued By A Bear”

exit pursued by a bear stage direction

[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=”] ‘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 … Read more

Club di Giulietta: Shakespeare’s Juliet Alive & Well In Verona

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One of the more curious, non-dangerous, aspects of human nature is our difficulty in distinguishing between fantasy and reality. Indeed, many of the things that we call ‘real’ don’t exist … Read more

The Shakespeare Tavern

Shakespeare Tavern NYC

[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=”] Hold your breath in disbelief as you read this: There is no “Shakespeare Tavern” in Stratford-upon-Avon! It would seem such a natural thing, wouldn’t it, to … Read more

Should You Study Shakespeare for Better English?

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[av_testimonials style=’grid’ columns=’1′ grid_style=” font_color=” custom_title=” custom_content=” interval=’5′ alb_description=” id=” custom_class=” av_uid=’av-kg6mr1gz’ admin_preview_bg=”] [av_testimonial_single src=’9713′ name=’Written by Dusty Fox’ subtitle=’Dusty is a full-time freelance writer who contributes to WiseIvy and … Read more

Did Shakespeare Take Drugs?

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[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=”] 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 … Read more

Shakespeare Baby Names For Girls

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[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=”] Looking for some inspiration from Shakespeare for baby names for girls? Shakespeare used 75 women’s names in his 37 plays, naming queens, jesters, heroines and warriors… so … Read more

Shakespeare Baby Names For Boys

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[av_textblock] Looking for some inspiration from Shakespeare for baby names for boys? Shakespeare used 125 men’s names in his 35 plays, naming kings, jesters, heroes and warriors… so something for … Read more

Review of Julian Fellowes’ Romeo & Juliet 2013

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[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=”] Watch the official trailer for Julian Fellowes’ Romeo & Juliet: If you were writing a film script for Romeo and Juliet there would be a great number … Read more

Midsummer Madness With Outdoor Shakespeare

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[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=”] We’re back from our summer holiday – hot throughout Europe but, alas, as so often in England, summer’s lease hath all too short a date, and so it … Read more

Shakespeare in Tofflerland – To App Or Not To App

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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

Who Wrote Shakespeare? The Authorship Candidates

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[av_textblock size=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” font_color=” color=” id=” custom_class=” av_uid=’av-3nsm78′ admin_preview_bg=”] The conspiracy that Shakespeare didn’t write his plays exists in some circles, which leads to the question who wrote … Read more

World Shakespeare Festival in Pictures

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[av_textblock size=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” font_color=” color=” av-desktop-hide=” av-medium-hide=” av-small-hide=” av-mini-hide=” id=” custom_class=” av_uid=”] As the summer-spanning Shakespeare extravaganza that is the World Shakespeare Festival comes to an end in the UK … Read more

All The Best Shakespeare Memes

shakespeare memes - reading

[av_textblock size=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” font_color=” color=” id=” custom_class=” av_uid=’av-2r5gm77′ admin_preview_bg=”] We’ve been trawling the internet of late for some comedy takes on Shakespeare to share on the NoSweatShakespeare facebook … Read more

Is It Hip Hop Or Shakespeare?

Hip hop 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

Learning Shakespeare

I recently came across a story I wrote some time ago: it was in an anthology of  short stories intended for study by GCSE English students in the UK. It … Read more

Shakespeare’s Twelve Days of Christmas

Shakespeare Today 48

[av_textblock size=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” font_color=” color=” id=” custom_class=” av_uid=’av-inlzr’ admin_preview_bg=”] Full festive marks to the American Shakespeare Centre for their inspirational “Twelve Days of Christmas” with a Shakespeare twist! … Read more

Shakespeare Tube Map

Shakespeare tube map

[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=”] Wow, how did we miss this one first time round? Apparently the Royal Shakespeare Company had this version of the London Underground map made up many … Read more

Things We Say Today Which We Owe To Shakespeare

scribbled words in black ink on a note pad showing dozens of words and phrases Shakespeare coined

[av_textblock size=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” font_color=” color=” id=” custom_class=” av_uid=’av-p4iw2′ admin_preview_bg=”] Looking something like a serial killers’ notebook, a 20-year-old London girl’s Shakespeare-related scribbles have gone viral this week. Simply … Read more

Nudity in Shakespeare

Shakespeare Today 49

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

Shakespeare Today 50

[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=”] 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 … Read more

The Curse of Macbeth, The Scottish Play

Close up face of Macbeth - classic Shakespearean tragedy

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

Shakespeare Today 51

[av_textblock size=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” font_color=” color=” id=” custom_class=” av_uid=’av-6sot9p’ admin_preview_bg=”] In the year in which the English speaking world is celebrating the four hundredth year of the King James … Read more

Shakespeare The Time Traveler

Shakespeare Today 52

[av_textblock] What would Shakespeare make of our modern world? If he were suddenly to appear in London as a time traveler to the future he would find himself in the … Read more


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Authorship Debate | Historic Shakespeare | Random Fun Stuff | Shakespeare Today | Shakespeare’s Works

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