For the first episode of Let’s Talk Shakespeare, I asked “Was Shakespeare Educated?”. This is a really interesting question that we are asked regularly and one that have to pull on lots of different sources of information to get an answer. In this episode we discuss how we know that Shakespeare went to school, where he went, what his school day would have been like and what he learned. We also think about Shakespeare and continued learner and the evidence of this in his work. Keep you ears open for a reference to Terry Pratchett!


This weeks guests are:



  Professor Stanley Wells, Honorary President of the SBT 
  Professor Michael Dobson, Director of the Shakespeare Institute 
  Dr Elizabeth Dollimore, Outreach and Primary Learning Manager a the SBT 
  Dr Anjna Chouhan, Lecturer in Shakespeare Studies at the SBT 
  Dr Tara Hamling, Senior Lecturer in Early Modern history at Birmingham University 
  Madeleine Cox, Reading Room and Public Services Coordinator at the SBT



You can find show notes for this episode over on our blog: https://www.shakespeare.org.uk/explore-shakespeare/podcast/was-shakespeare-educated/

Let's Talk Shakespeare: Was Shakespeare Educated?

For the tenth and final episode of this series of Let’s Talk Shakespeare, I asked “How did Shakespeare get so popular?”. This is a good question, and a lot of people wonder why it is Shakespeare that is so well celebrated over his fellow playwrights. In this episode we looks at lots of reasons why this is the case, through key events and opportunities over the last 400 years that have led to his popularity today. This is such a big topic that this episode really acts and an introduction to further areas you might want to look up. Our experts also express beautifully how and why they enjoy seeing Shakespeare’s plays over and over again.


This weeks guests are:



  Professor Michael Dobson, Director of the Shakespeare Institute 
  Dr Elizabeth Dollimore, Outreach and Primary Learning Manager a the SBT 
  Professor Stanley Wells, Honorary President of the SBT 
  Dr Paul Edmondson, Head of Research and Knowledge at the SBT 
  Ben Crystal, Actor, director and producer



You can find the show notes for this episode on our blog: https://www.shakespeare.org.uk/explore-shakespeare/podcast/how-did-shakespeare-get-so-popular/

Let's Talk Shakespeare: How did Shakespeare Get so Popular?

For the ninth episode of Let’s Talk Shakespeare, I asked “How Did Shakespeare Die?”. We have found ourselves at the end of Shakespeare's life, and with most questions we asked, we don't know the answer to this one for sure. What we do know is when he died and where he is buried, but there is no recorded evidence of what killed him. There are however rumours and stories surrounding his death and in this episode we look at these and other evidence about what his death would have been like.


This weeks guests are:



  Professor Michael Dobson, Director of the Shakespeare Institute
  Dr Elizabeth Dollimore, Outreach and Primary Learning Manager a the SBT
  Professor Stanley Wells, Honorary President of the SBT
  Dr Robert Bearman, Retired Head of Archives and Local Studies, Shakespeare Birthplace Trust
  Dr Tara Hamling, University of Birmingham



Show notes for this episode can be found over on our blog: https://www.shakespeare.org.uk/explore-shakespeare/podcast/how-did-shakespeare-die/

Let's Talk Shakespeare: How did Shakespeare Die?

For the eighth episode of Let’s Talk Shakespeare, I asked “How much was Shakespeare Worth?”. Most of the documents the survive about Shakespeare life detail his business and financial dealings. In this episode we looks at what these documents can tell us about Shakespeare worth at different points in his life, as well as where he got this money and what happened to it.


Exemplification of a fine showing Shakespeare's purchase of New Place Exemplification of a fine showing Shakespeare’s purchase of New Place


This weeks guests are:



  Professor Michael Dobson, Director of the Shakespeare Institute 
  Dr Elizabeth Dollimore, Outreach and Primary Learning Manager a the SBT 
  Professor Stanley Wells, Honorary President of the SBT 
  Dr Robert Bearman, Retired Head of Archives and Local Studies, Shakespeare Birthplace Trust 
  Dr Tara Hamling, University of Birmingham



Find the show notes for this episode at: https://www.shakespeare.org.uk/explore-shakespeare/podcast/how-much-was-shakespeare-worth/

Let's Talk Shakespeare: How much was Shakespeare Worth?

For the seventh episode of Let’s Talk Shakespeare, I asked “Was Shakespeare Gay?”. This is a really big question that people have written a great deal about, so this episode acts as a sort of summary of some of the arguments for and against Shakespeare being gay. To answer this question we have to think about the nature of friendships and sexuality and self identification of those thing in Shakespeare time, as well as looking at evidence from this text, in particular the sonnets.


This weeks guests are:



  Professor Michael Dobson, Director of the Shakespeare Institute
  Dr Elizabeth Dollimore, Outreach and Primary Learning Manager a the SBT
  Professor Stanley Wells, Honorary President of the SBT
  Greg Doran, Artistic Director of the Royal Shakespeare Theatre



You can find the show notes for this episode over on our blog: https://www.shakespeare.org.uk/explore-shakespeare/podcast/was-shakespeare-gay/

Let's Talk Shakespeare: Was Shakespeare Gay?

For the sixth episode of Let’s Talk Shakespeare, I asked “Did Shakespeare know Queen Elizabeth 1?”. This is something that people love to imagine, that these two icons of British culture could have had a relationship, and in this episode we look at Shakespeare's royal patronage, performance's at court and whether or not anyone could really have had a relationship with a monarch at all.


Ye Bard - hys Birth… ye immortal bard cometh to town - ergo, he is Born in ye merrie town of Stratford, A. D. 1564, c1850, by unknown author Ye Bard - hys Birth… ye immortal bard cometh to town - ergo, he is Born in ye merrie town of Stratford, A. D. 1564, c1850, by unknown author This weeks guests are:



  Professor Michael Dobson, Director of the Shakespeare Institute
  Dr Elizabeth Dollimore, Outreach and Primary Learning Manager a the SBT
  Professor Stanley Wells, Honorary President of the SBT
  Dr Anjna Chouhan, Lecturer in Shakespeare Studies at the SBT -
  Ben Crystal, Actor Director and producer



You can find the shownotes for this episode over on our blog: https://www.shakespeare.org.uk/explore-shakespeare/podcast/did-shakespeare-know-queen-elizabeth-i/

Let's Talk Shakespeare: Was Shakespeare Educated?

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