Episodios

  • Elizabeth, the Virgin Queen

    Elizabeth, the Virgin Queen
    May 12 2025
    Elizabeth I is perhaps the most famous Queen of England, reigning from November 1558 until her death in 1603. When you study her life, you quickly learn that she was known as “the Virgin Queen” for her staunch stance against marriage. Despite directives from her court and intense peer pressure from those around her, Elizabeth faced down scandal, rumors, and suspicion throughout her reign, only to remain stalwart in her commitment to not only never marry, but to never be known as someone whose virginity was taken from her. Given that the royal lineage is so important not only in England, but in all monarchal governments, and that literal wars have been fought over the rightful heir to the throne, it is definitely a challenge to the status quo that Elizabeth not only did not produce an heir, but intentionally chose not to do so. Here this week to help us explore what this stance was like for people of England, why it was so important to Elizabeth that she risked so greatly to maintain her choice, as well what happened at her death that prevented a war from rising up with the lack of an heir, is our guest, British historian, and professional history podcaster, Carol Ann LLoyd. Get bonus episodes on Patreon

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    34 m
  • The Little Ice Age During Shakespeare's Lifetime

    The Little Ice Age During Shakespeare's Lifetime
    May 5 2025
    Since 1939, when Francios E. Matthas wrote it into scientific literature, the Little Ice Age has been known as a period in history between the 15th and 19th centuries, when the climate was significantly colder than what is typical. The history generally divides the Little Ice Age into sections, which alternate with periods of warming to create wild weather phenomena, including long frozen winters and cold, wet summers. According to the latest research from our guest this week, this Little Ice Age was delayed in England, specifically, not taking hold there until much later, in the first part of the 17th century. While continental Europeans encountered Little Ice Age conditions during the sixteenth century, the English population faced volatile seasonal variations with extremes of drought and severe storm weather and violent tidal surges. Our guest this week, Laurie Johnson, joins us to share some of the weather data he is compiling for his latest publication that looks at the impact of climate and weather on how we should understand the plays that were written as these climate phenomena were occurring, as well as the playing companies staging them. Get bonus episodes on Patreon

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    40 m
  • Paper: How it is made, and what it is made from in the 16th Century

    Paper: How it is made, and what it is made from in the 16th Century
    Apr 28 2025
    “Get me the ink and paper.” Cleopatra demands in Antony and Cleopatra (I.5) In Henry IV Part I, Peto says “Nothing but papers, my lord.” (II.4) These are just two of over 100 references to paper in Shakespeare's plays, with characters reading papers, carrying papers, delivering them, and of course, writing on papers. Naturally, the technology of paper itself isn’t that remarkable, being centuries older than Shakespeare, but what is surprising is that in addition to over 100 references to paper, Shakespeare’s plays also contain references to parchment, with Hamlet himself asking if parchment was made from sheepskins. There’s even a reference in Cymbeline to tablets. These words suggest that paper and parchment were common for Shakespeare’s lifetime, but as far as paper like material goes, there’s also canvas that some of the most famous 16th-17th century paintings were prepared upon, along with vellum, linen, and even wax tablets. With all of these options for what to write on, I wanted to learn more about how paper was made, what it was made from, whether Hamlet was right about parchment and sheep, and to know which of these options was most popular, and why. That’s why we are delighted to welcome Cathy Baker to the show today to help us explore the history of paper, vellum, and canvas, from Shakespeare’s lifetime. Get bonus episodes on Patreon

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    34 m
  • Birthday Celebrations for the 16th Century

    Birthday Celebrations for the 16th Century
    Apr 21 2025

    In Shakespeare’s play, Antony and Cleopatra, Cleopatra declares “It is my birth-day:

    I had thought to have held it poor: but, since my lord Is Antony again, I will be Cleopatra.” Indicating that she was relieved to be marking the occasion in a better way. Julius Ceasar, similarly declares in Act V, “This is my birth-day; as this very day was Cassius born.” In Pericles, the First Fisherman says “he hath a fair daughter, and to-morrow is her birth-day;” (Act II). In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Marcellus talks about celebrating our Savior’s birth with singing. Other references to the day of one’s birth show up in Henry VI Part II the Earl of Suffolk talks about having a cunning old man calculate the day of his birth (Act IV), and later in that same act, Jack Cade talks about how his father was ignorant of both his birth and parentage. All of these mentions of birth days, their calculations, and their celebrations, has me wondering what exactly birthdays were like for Shakespeare’s England. We always celebrate Shakespeare’s birthday in style in around here, but would the bard have celebrated his own day of birth? To find out, we’ve invited one of the authors of the article “Debating the Birthday: Innovation and Resistance in Celebrating Children” Peter Stearns, to the show to day, to help us explore the history of marking a birthday with cakes, gifts, and a gathering of friends. Would this have occurred for Shakespeare’s lifetime? Let’s find out right now, on That Shakespeare Life.

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    17 m
  • Hall's Croft, 3D Interactive Model & AI Features

    Hall's Croft, 3D Interactive Model & AI Features
    Apr 14 2025

    This week, we have a special opportunity here on the show to explore the Historic home of Shakespeare’s eldest daughter, Susanna Shakespeare Hall, that has been brought to life in a beautiful digital 3Dformat thanks to a pioneering new digital archive that has created an augmented reality exhibition that lets visitors like you and me, visit and virtually walk through Susanna’s home known as Hall’s Croft, from anywhere in the world. The 3D component allows users to bring 17th-century early modern objects into their own spaces using the AR feature, while the digital archive allows users to explore 3 rooms from Hall’s Croft from the comfort of their own homes. This week we are delighted to welcome Ailsa Grant Ferguson, the lead on this digital project, back to That Shakespeare Life, to tell us about the research that went into this program, what they learned about Hall’s Croft, and about Susanna Shakespeare through their research, and to share the details on how you can explore this 3D model for yourself.


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    28 m
  • Transportation, Vehicles, and Taxi Cabs for Elizabethan England

    Transportation, Vehicles, and Taxi Cabs for Elizabethan England
    Apr 7 2025
    In Shakespeare’s plays, he talks about “Travel” or “Traveller” just under 80 times, including references that suggest people travelled by foot and by horse, the Queen Mab speech by Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet talks about a wagon used for transportation, and there are references that indicate there were items which would add comfort to someone’s travel, and one reference from Comedy of Errors talks about being “stiff and weary” from long travel. We also know that in a personal connection to William Shakespeare the man, playing companies often travelled around England visiting various inns and establishments of their patrons who hired out a production, this applied to the Lord Chamberlain’s Men as well. With all of this travel, it begs the question of exactly what getting around England, particularly in a large group, might have entailed. What kind of vehicles would have been traversing the cities and countryside for Shakespeare's England? Were there paved roads, dirt paths, or maybe cobblestone streets? What about rules of travelling such as stop signs, round abouts, or other kinds of travel infrastructure? Whose job was it to decide where a road would be put, and then who carried the responsibility of maintenance of the paths? Could you get a traffic ticket in Elizabethan England? Here today to help us answer these questions, including sharing with us what kind of vehicles travelled along England’s roadways in Shakespeare’s lifetime, details about what the roads were like, and the rules for travelling them, is our guest, Robert Bucholz. Get bonus episodes on Patreon

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    34 m
  • Historic Elizabethan Dice and Dice Games

    Historic Elizabethan Dice and Dice Games
    Mar 31 2025
    On previous episodes of That Shakespeare Life, we have talked about the numerous early modern card games that show up in Shakespeare’s plays, and even that Ferdinand and Miranda are playing the game of Chess in the Tempest. What you may be surprised to learn is that another form of early modern game playing—the game of dice—comes up over half a dozen times across Shakespeare’s works, with references to playing the game, using them to predict the future, and of course, losing at the game of dice. Dice was a huge sport for Elizabethan, and later Jacobean, England and here today to share with us about this history, what games were played, and some specifics on the history of the playing pieces themselves is Historic Games expert, Charles Knutson. Get bonus episodes on Patreon

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    24 m
  • Food Macbeth, the real Scottish King, would have eaten

    Food Macbeth, the real Scottish King, would have eaten
    Mar 24 2025
    In Shakespeare’s play, Macbeth, there’s a famous banquet scene, with a huge food spread and of course, a few ghosts because what’s a party without a few spectres, right? This scene is fictional, but it is based on a real historical person, the real King Macbeth of Scotland, and holding banquets in a castle absolutely happened. Here today to share with us what foods would have been eaten at the real banquet of the actual Macbeth is historical chef, and host of Tasting History on YouTube, Max Miller. Get bonus episodes on Patreon

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    29 m
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