That Shakespeare Life podcast

#History #England #Literature #Performance #Stage #Cassidy Cash #Shakespeare #Storytelling #Books and Writing #Authors #Society #Writing

15:16

Gen Z slang is rife with new words like "unalive," "skibidi" and "rizz." Where do these words come from — and how do they get popular so fast? Linguist Adam Aleksic explores how the forces of social media algorithms are reshaping the way people talk and view their very own identities. For a chance to give your own TED Talk, fill out the Idea Search Application: ted.com/ideasearch . Interested in learning more about upcoming TED events? Follow these links: TEDNext: ted.com/futureyou TEDSports: ted.com/sports TEDAI Vienna: ted.com/ai-vienna TEDAI San Francisco: ted.com/ai-sf Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

That Shakespeare Life

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Hosted by Cassidy Cash, That Shakespeare Life takes you behind the curtain and into the real life of William Shakespeare.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

277 episodes

That Shakespeare Life

117 subscribers

updated il y a environ un jour

maison des série•Feed

Hosted by Cassidy Cash, That Shakespeare Life takes you behind the curtain and into the real life of William Shakespeare.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

277 episodes

#History #England #Literature #Performance #Stage #Cassidy Cash #Shakespeare #Storytelling #Books and Writing #Authors #Society #Writing

Tous les épisodes

1
The Volta, the Galliard, the Jig, and more: Dances of Elizabethan England 1:00:06

il y a 1 day1:00:06

1:00:06

In Love’s Labour’s Lost , Berowne declares, “Let us dance and sport,” while in Twelfth Night , Sir Toby Belch exclaims, “Shall we set about some revels?” Shakespeare’s plays are filled with movement—more than 100 stage directions across his works call for a dance, making dance not merely entertainment, but a powerful form of expression in the early modern world. This week on That Shakespeare Life , we’re taking a closer look at what those dances might have looked like in real life. What was the significance of dancing in the 16th and early 17th centuries? What kinds of dances were popular? And how did they reflect the politics, courtship, and social hierarchies of the day? To help us explore the rhythm and meaning behind Shakespeare’s choreography is our guest, historian and dance scholar Emily Winerock. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

1
Between the Acts: The History and Purpose of the Interval” 30:59

il y a environ 8 jours30:59

30:59

When you picture a Shakespeare play, you likely imagine a continuous performance—scene following scene, act following act—until the final bow. But in Shakespeare’s lifetime, especially at indoor theatres like the Blackfriars, plays weren’t always presented without pause. Candlelight, used to illuminate the stage, had to be trimmed, replaced, or even relit during performances, which meant intentional gaps were built into the show itself. These intervals weren’t just practical; they were part of the theatrical experience—inviting music, moments of reflection, and a rhythm that modern audiences rarely consider. Today we’re diving into this largely overlooked aspect of early modern theatre: the interval. What did it look like? What happened during it? And how did it influence the pacing and experience of Shakespeare’s plays? To help us explore this topic, we’re delighted to welcome Mark Hutchings, whose latest research shines a spotlight on the physical and performative realities of candlelit stages, and their intervals, for the 16th and 17th centuries. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

1
Wilt Break My Heart?”: Broken Heart Syndrome in Shakespeare’s Plays 50:46

il y a environ 15 jours50:46

50:46

In King Lear , Shakespeare has the king cry out, “Break, heart; I prithee, break!”—a line rich with sorrow, and one that may have held deeper meaning for Shakespeare’s audience than we often assume. Modern medicine identifies Takotsubo Syndrome—also known as “broken heart syndrome”—as a temporary dysfunction of the heart triggered by emotional distress. Incredibly, this concept may have had early roots in the Renaissance understanding of how emotion and the body were intertwined. In this episode, we explore the 17th-century medical beliefs that made room for literal heartbreak, and the evidence in Shakespeare’s plays that suggests he was engaging with those very ideas. From Lear and Gloucester to Enobarbus and Cleopatra, Shakespeare’s characters don’t just feel emotion—they suffer from it physically, sometimes fatally. Our guests this week, Dr. Bríd Phillips and Dr. Claire Hansen, are here to unpack their research connecting Shakespeare’s portrayals of heartbreak with modern cardiology, showing us how the science of the heart may have been hidden in plain sight on the Renaissance stage. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

1
Did Shakespeare Live on Trinity Lane? 21:20

il y a environ 22 jours21:20

21:20

A letter fragment recently rediscovered in an archive may contain the earliest surviving reference to Shakespeare’s name—and a clue to where he lived in 1596. This week, Matthew Steggle joins us to explore the evidence behind the Trinity Lane location and its connection to Shakespeare. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

1
Why the Tudors Loved Capons (and Avoided Roosters) 24:20

il y a environ 29 jours24:20

24:20

“He that eats my capon, shall know me better.” — All’s Well That Ends Well (Act II, Scene 2) Roasted to perfection and served at noble feasts, the capon—a castrated rooster prized for its tenderness and rich flavor—was one of the most luxurious poultry options available in Shakespeare’s England. While today the word may be unfamiliar to many, in the 16th and 17th centuries, the capon was a delicacy, frequently mentioned in early modern literature, including a dozen times across Shakespeare’s plays. But what did it mean culturally and culinarily to serve a capon in the Elizabethan era? How were they raised, what status did they hold in society, and what does their appearance in Shakespeare’s works reveal about daily life and dining customs of the time? To help us explore the fascinating world of capons, roosters, and poultry practices in Renaissance England, our guest this week is food historian and prolific author Ken Albala. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

1
Shakespeare & Fletcher: Neighbors in 1596 London 27:38

il y a 5 weeks27:38

27:38

When we think of Shakespeare collaborating with another writer, the name John Fletcher quickly comes to mind. Together they penned Two Noble Kinsmen , All is True (also known as Henry VIII ), and the now-lost play Cardenio . But what do we actually know about the working relationship between these two men? Did they sit down side-by-side at a table to write, or pass drafts back and forth in letters? Thanks to new research into the living arrangements of early modern Londoners, we have fresh insight into the possibility that Fletcher and Shakespeare were not just professional collaborators—but next-door neighbors. This week, we’re exploring the archival evidence that places them both on Bishopsgate Street in the late 16th century. Our guest is Domenico Lovascio, whose article “Giles, John, and Will: The Fletchers and Shakespeare in Bishopsgate Street, London, 1596” offers a compelling look at the real-life proximity of these famous playwrights. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

1
Thermometer in Shakespeare’s England 27:10

il y a 6 weeks27:10

27:10

In the year 1603, just as Shakespeare was writing Othello and the reign of Elizabeth I was transitioning to James I, Galileo Galilei—famous for exploring the heavens—was also measuring the invisible. Among his lesser-known inventions was a device called the thermoscope, an elegant glass instrument that could detect changes in temperature—centuries before the modern thermometer. Today, we call it the Galilean thermometer, named after Galileo because he discovered the principle that the density of a liquid changes in proportion to its temperature—a concept that set the foundations for modern meteorology. To help us explore how Galileo made his discoveries, exactly how a Galilean thermometer works, and how these scientific advancements were received in Shakespeare’s England, we’re joined by Dr. Dario Camuffo, author of extensive research on Galileo’s contributions to the measurement of temperature and the early development of thermometers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

1
Commercial Fishing in Shakespeare’s England: Tools, Trade, and Fish Days 59:34

il y a 7 weeks59:34

59:34

“Bait the hook well; this fish will bite.” So says Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing , and he’s not alone—Shakespeare drops over 70 references to fish and fishing across his plays, from slippery metaphors to full-on fishing scenes, including actual Fishermen characters in Pericles . But behind those lines lies a very real part of daily life in Elizabethan England. In a world where Protestant reform gave rise to fish days on the calendar and entire industries formed around what came out of the water, one has to wonder: Where did all this fish actually come from? Who was catching it? What tools did they use? And could Shakespeare himself have cast a line into the Thames for a bit of dinner? Today, we’re casting our net into the past to find out. Joining us is historian Mark Ferguson, here to help us explore the methods, markets, and meaning behind commercial and sport fishing in Shakespeare’s England. Let’s dive in. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

1
Wine and Winemaking in Shakespeare’s England 34:07

il y a 8 weeks34:07

34:07

While Shakespeare’s plays are filled with references to ale and sack, wine played a central role in both the economy and social customs of Renaissance England. In this episode, we uncork the history of winemaking in Shakespeare’s lifetime—what kinds of grapes were grown, how wine was stored and served, and why a cold snap in the 1500s forever changed England’s vineyards. Our guest, winemaker and historian Stephen Franzoi, joins us to explore the world of Elizabethan viticulture and what Shakespeare himself might have been sipping. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

1
History Behind Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet 31:03

il y a 9 weeks31:03

31:03

“Romeo and Juliet” may be Shakespeare’s most famous love story—but it wasn’t entirely his own. Long before the Bard set quill to page, a tale of star-crossed lovers was already circulating in Europe. In this episode, we’re joined by filmmaker Timothy Scott Bogart, director of the new musical film Juliet & Romeo , which reimagines the lovers’ story in its earlier, 13th-century context. Together, we explore the poems, legends, and historical figures that shaped the world Shakespeare would later dramatize, and discuss how the shifting timeline—from medieval Italy to Renaissance England—changes the story we think we know. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

1
Puppets Offering a Window into Shakespeare History 30:22

il y a 10 weeks30:22

30:22

Shakespeare wrote his play Hamlet in the early 1600s and by the late 1600s, well after the death of William Shakespeare in 1616, playing troupes are taking plays including Shakespeare’s Hamlet and other works by early modern playwrights, and turning them into performance adaptations using a new medium---specifically, they’re using puppets. Puppetry, marionettes, and glove puppets perform miniature versions of their human like counterparts as a popular form of theater entertainment for the 17th century. Our guest this week, Tiffany Stern, recently gave a lecture at the University of Birmingham, outlining how the examination of these puppet performances and how exploring the puppets themselves, like one that survives from the 17th century puppet named Amleto, suspiciously similar to the name Hamlet, can not only shed light on stereotypes that carry over from Shakespeare’s lifetime, but these puppets also influence how we understand what it means to be a storyteller. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

1
Castles in Shakespeare's Plays 59:37

il y a 11 weeks59:37

59:37

Shakespeare uses the word “castle” over 40 times in his works. He talks about sieging a castle, the power of castle walls, and even mentions specific real life castles by name including Berkley Castle and “Pomfret” castle which is another name for Pontefract Castle, along with at least a dozen more. These castles were prominent features in the landscape of Shakespeare’s lifetime, playing roles both in their commanding presence on the visual horizon on the physical landscape, but also their place in society, monarchy, and the broader political landscape as well. In this week’s episode we’ll explore the castles of Shakespeare’s lifetime, looking at which castles were actively in use around England, as well as what they were used for, major events that occurred there, and which of these architectural giants survive to the present day, allowing us to visit them centuries later. Here this week to take us on a tour of the real castles mentioned in Shakespeare’s plays is our guest, Audrey Thorstad. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

1
Eyeglasses and Lenses Used After Cataract Surgery in the 16th Century 30:14

il y a 12 weeks30:14

30:14

In Merry Wives of Windsor, Falstaff says “the appetite of her eye did seem to scorch me up like a burning-glass!” Burning glasses were a specific kind of lens, that allowed you to harness the sun’s rays to create fire. They were a predesessor on the road to later lens construction that allowed for the convex shape which allows someone to create prescription glasses. In Shakespeare’s lifetime, a specific kind of spectacles known as aphakic spectacles were prescriped as a matter of routine in post operative care for someone that underwent a cataract surgery .Paintings from this tim period show a variety of spectacles and eyewear that were used in this time period, and Shakespeare’s plays themselves reveal the cultural impression of glasses and how they were perceived. Here today to explain the development of lenses form Shakespeare’s lifetime, the post operative care for cataract surgery in particular, and to tell us more about special lenses like “burning glasses” and “reading stones” are our guests and ophthalmological historians, Chris Leffler and Charles Letocha. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

1
Church Bells, How They Are Made in the 16th Century 44:52

il y a 13 weeks44:52

44:52

Orlando, from the play As You Like It , talks about church bells knolling, and later in that same play, the Duke talks about how we “have with holy bell been knoll'd to church.” There’s a conversation in Act II of Pericles where two fishermen discuss a parish getting swallowed by a whale, and they refer to the parish as “The whole parish, church, steeple, bells, and all.” These references demonstrate the important cultural place of bells in England for Shakespeare’s lifetime. While Moses is credited with introducing bells to Jewish religion, Italian monks are given credit for introducing bells to Europe, with Saint Bede bringing them specifically to England when he introduced their use in funerals around 700 AD. By the time of William Shakespeare, metallurgy and construction had experienced a metamorphosis, with churches in Europe adopting not only intricate design, but seeking to increase both the size and the sound of their church bells. Here this week to tell us about the history, size, shape, sound, and technical process of building a church bell in Shakespeare’s lifetime, is our guest Guthrie Stewart Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

1
Elizabeth, the Virgin Queen 33:48

il y a 14 weeks33:48