When Elizabeth I came to the throne in 1558, she inherited a tense political and religion tension that bordered dangerously close to civil war over Protestantism vs Catholicism in England. Historical basis for wars with France, the reputation of the Huguenots, and the painful English loss of Calais after ruling it for 150 years all played a role in the reception of small details, including the representation of France beside England in plays like William Shakespeare’s Henry V.

For the audiences of France, religion was a tumultuous topic with many people now Protestant by government decree, with parents, even Shakespeare’s own father, who had potentially closeted Catholic sentiments. As with many things, the context of religion vs government or something more casual was a giant ball of complicated emotions that caused playwrights like William Shakespeare to need to perform a balancing act to produce a show that would be popular, but not get him arrested in the process.

Here today to help us analyze the role of religion in England, the impact of Elizabeth’s Religious Settlement, and how the country received plays like Henry V, is our guest Dr. Jonathan Willis.

When William Shakespeare was writing plays like Richard II in London, including the abdication scene we know it for today would have, and often did, get playwrights arrested for their challenge to the authority of the monarch. That’s one reason Shakespeare’s plays, Richard II, was traditionally performed without the abdication scene except for the one fateful day it was staged intentionally including that as part of what would ultimately become a failed rebellion against Elizabeth I. Though Shakespeare escaped prison for that performance, his friends Ben Jonson, Christopher Marlowe, and George Wilkins were not so fortunate. In the case of Ben Jonson, it seems he wanted to be sent to prison, claiming at least once to have gone voluntarily. Here this week to help us explore the subversive nature of theater and playwriting specifically in England as a propaganda machine is our guest Dr. Ian De Jong.

illiam Shakespeare was living, and writing at the start of the Golden Age of Libraries. In a world where the written word was considered a luxury item, and private libraries were amassed in castles, mansions, or other private residencies of the wealthy as a sign of their status and intelligence, The Bodleian Library changed the culture of education, and access to knowledge, when they opened their doors in 1602 as the first public library in the world. In 1602, William Shakespeare was 38 years old and writing plays like Troilus and Cressida and even Hamlet, which was registered for publication in the summer of that year. One of the founders of the original library, Humfrey, Duke of Gloucester, who was the younger brother of Henry V, is a major character in two of Shakespeare’s plays, and a minor character in two more. Appearing across four of Shakespeare’s plays is unique enough, but to also portray him positively throughout, leaves us wondering what was William Shakespeare’s opinion of libraries, and would he have gone to the Bodleian? 

Here today to share with us the Shakespearean history of the Bodleian Library, is our guest Dr. Emma Smith

When James VI of Scotland became James I of England, he did so as the son of Mary Queen of Scots, and brought with him a tumultous history and risk for civil war. In an example of the King’s extraordinary gift at diplomacy and unification, he also brought into England his ability to stabilize conflict and unite warring parties around his position as King. 

At 39 years old, when William Shakespeare was at the height of his career as a playwright in London, the new King would officially patronize Shakespeare’s company, and include the bard, the Burbages, and The Lord Chamberlain’s Men in his campaign to win the heart of England and unify the three nations. 

Here to help us explore the story of what it was like for William Shakespeare when Elizabeth died and King James came to the throne, as well as the religious reformations that defined the cultures of these nations, and divided the Scottish Kirk from the Church of England ideologically, is our special guest Dr. James Loxley. 

James Loxley is Professor of Early Modern Literature in the department of English Literature at Edinburgh. He has written widely on renaissance poetry and drama, with a particular focus on Ben Jonson and Andrew Marvell, and on the literature, politics and culture of the civil war period. His current research focuses on a collaborative project digitally mapping Edinburgh's literary cityscape, and a cultural history of the relations between England and Scotland in the early seventeenth century.

We are delighted to have him visit with us today to share with us the moment in Shakespeare’s life when he found himself finally under the official patronage of the English monarchy.

One of my absolute favorite quotes from Shakespeare comes from Henry IV Part 1 when Henry V says

Unless hours were cups of sack and minutes 

capons and clocks the tongues of bawds and dials the 

signs of leaping-houses and the blessed sun himself 

a fair hot wench in flame-coloured taffeta, I see no 

reason why thou shouldst be so superfluous to demand 

the time of the day.

It’s hilarious today, particularly to consider Falstaff parading around in flame coloured taffeta, but the history buried in the hilarity is the question of time. Obviously, Henry V seems to think asking about the time of day is superfluous. In a 21st century world where things arrive on time, and we keep our time in our pockets or on our wrists, what was William Shakespeare’s understanding of keeping of time? It is William Shakespeare who is credited with being the first to pen the phrase “watch the clock”, but did he have a clock? 

Here to take us back to the world of sundials, hourglasses, pocket watches, and clock towers all of which were in motion and taking part in a flourish of clockmaking that took off in europe in the 15th adn 16th century is our very special guest, William Massena. 

William Massena is the Founder and CEO of Massena LAB, a collaboration with independent watchmakers to make unique timepieces. He is the Managing Director of TimeZone.com, the world’s largest watch discussion forum on the Internet. William, who has been with TimeZone.com since its founding in 1995, has been a passionate collector of watches from an early age and an active participant in the world of horology as a collector, consultant and auctioneer. Previously, he was the Chief Operating Officer and Managing Director of Antiquorum SA, a leading Horological Auction House. William Massena holds a BS and master’s degree from New York University Stern School of Business. He is a jury member of the GPHG since 2013, a member of the cultural council of the Foundation of Haute Horology and a Freeman of the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers. In addition, William Massena is a Trustee of the Horological Society of New York.