That Shakespeare Life

When Shakespeare wrote Hamlet, he gave the melancholy Dane two university friends with peculiarly Danish names—Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. For many centuries, audiences assumed these were simply fictional creations. Yet history reveals that Frederik Rosenkrantz and Knud Gyldenstierne were real men—Danish noblemen who traveled to England during Shakespeare's lifetime as part of an official embassy from the Danish court.

Their visit took place during a fascinating moment of cultural diplomacy: King James VI of Scotland's marriage alliance with Denmark, his 1589 voyage to meet Anne of Denmark, and the exchanges of royal gifts that linked two kingdoms. This same period saw Tycho Brahe's astronomical fame rise across Europe, the University of Wittenberg flourish as an intellectual hub, and England's awareness of the Dutch Golden Age begin to take shape.

Today we'll explore these threads with our guest, Paul Lockhart, Professor of HIstory and Drage Gould Distinguished Professor of Research at Wright State University. He has published seven single author books including "Denmark, 1513-1660: The Rise and Decline of the Renaissance Monarchy. You can see more of his publications and links to his current work in the show notes for today's episode.

He joins us today to help us explore the story of two real courtiers whose names—and perhaps personalities—live on in one of Shakespeare's most famous plays.

When Shakespeare called the sisters in Macbeth "weird," he did not mean what we mean by the word today. In early modern England, "weird" carried deep associations with fate, prophecy, and supernatural power—ideas rooted in classical mythology, medieval folklore, and Renaissance belief.

In this episode of That Shakespeare Life, we explore what "weird" really meant in the 16th and early 17th centuries, and how that meaning reshapes our understanding of one of Shakespeare's most famous groups of characters. Joining me are Dr. Anne-Maree Wicks and Professor Laurie Johnson, co-authors of Weird Shakespeare: The Weird Sisters and Macbeth, whose research traces the shifting language, textual history, and performance traditions surrounding Macbeth's enigmatic sisters.

Together, we examine why Shakespeare never actually uses the phrase "weird sisters" in the play itself, how early spellings like weyward complicate modern interpretations, and when editors began standardizing the word as "weird." We also explore whether these figures may originally have been understood as fairies or nymphs rather than witches—and how later historical events, including witch trials and changing beliefs about the supernatural, shaped how audiences came to see them.

This conversation invites us to step back into Shakespeare's world, where language was fluid, meanings were unstable, and the boundary between fate, folklore, and fear was anything but clear.

Today, we think of Christmas as the season of giving—but in Shakespeare’s England, it was New Year’s Day that reigned supreme as the biggest gift-giving holiday of the entire year. 

Shakespeare himself alludes to this entrenched tradition in The Merry Wives of Windsor, where Falstaff quips: “I’ll have my brains ta’en out and buttered, and give them to a dog for a new-year’s gift.” It’s a grotesque image—thank you, Falstaff—but it reveals just how deeply the practice of New Year’s gifting permeated society, to the point where even dogs might expect a present. 

Of course, no one in Elizabethan England gave and received gifts quite like the queen herself—which is why this week, we’re diving into the fascinating world of New Year’s gifts at the court of Elizabeth I: how these gifts were chosen, presented, and meticulously recorded—and how they served as powerful tools of politics, loyalty, and social hierarchy in Shakespeare’s lifetime. 

Joining us to unravel this glittering and strategic tradition is Maria Hayward, whose research on the New Year’s Gift Rolls shines a light on the court culture, textiles, and customs that shaped this extraordinary annual ritual. 

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

Today, we think of Christmas as the season of giving—but in Shakespeare's England, it was New Year's Day that reigned supreme as the biggest gift-giving holiday of the entire year.

Shakespeare himself alludes to this entrenched tradition in The Merry Wives of Windsor, where Falstaff quips: "I'll have my brains ta'en out and buttered, and give them to a dog for a new-year's gift." It's a grotesque image—thank you, Falstaff—but it reveals just how deeply the practice of New Year's gifting permeated society, to the point where even dogs might expect a present.

Of course, no one in Elizabethan England gave and received gifts quite like the queen herself—which is why this week, we're diving into the fascinating world of New Year's gifts at the court of Elizabeth I: how these gifts were chosen, presented, and meticulously recorded—and how they served as powerful tools of politics, loyalty, and social hierarchy in Shakespeare's lifetime.

Joining us to unravel this glittering and strategic tradition is Maria Hayward, whose research on the New Year's Gift Rolls shines a light on the court culture, textiles, and customs that shaped this extraordinary annual ritual.

When we think of King Arthur, many of us imagine medieval romance—knights in shining armor, enchanted swords, or chivalric quests. But for the Tudors, Arthur wasn't just storybook material. In the 16th century, Arthurian legend was a political tool, a national symbol, and—for some—an actual piece of English history. From Henry VII naming his heir "Prince Arthur," to Elizabeth I being welcomed at Kenilworth with Lady-of-the-Lake imagery, the Tudors used Arthurian myth to define their dynasty, elevate their authority, and shape the emerging idea of English nationalism.

This week, we're exploring how Arthur, Merlin, and the world of Geoffrey of Monmouth were reinvented for a new age of politics, performance, and propaganda. Our guest, historian Andrew, walks us through royal pageants, literary allegory, and visual symbols that connected the Tudor monarchy to a heroic—and sometimes ominous—legendary past.

"Say, what abridgement have you for this evening?

What masque? what music? How shall we beguile

The lazy time, if not with some delight?"

— A Midsummer Night's Dream, Act V, Scene 1

There are over a dozen mentions of masques, masquers, and masquing in Shakespeare's plays, and when it came to masques in England for the 16-17th century, no one did them better than Ben Jonson, who was known for staging truly spectacular feats of gradeur at the court of James I.

Our guest is Martin Butler, Professor of Renaissance Drama at the University of Leeds, Fellow of the British Academy, and General Editor of the Cambridge Works of Ben Jonson. He has written extensively on early modern drama and Jonson's masques in particular, including how these productions functioned as political texts, cultural events, and artistic achievements.

Martin joins us today to help us explore what a masque was exactly, how masques are different from a play, and why it was that Jonson's masques were so special.

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

"Say, what abridgement have you for this evening?

What masque? what music? How shall we beguile

The lazy time, if not with some delight?"

— A Midsummer Night's Dream, Act V, Scene 1

There are over a dozen mentions of masques, masquers, and masquing in Shakespeare's plays, and when it came to masques in England for the 16-17th century, no one did them better than Ben Jonson, who was known for staging truly spectacular feats of gradeur at the court of James I.

Our guest is Martin Butler, Professor of Renaissance Drama at the University of Leeds, Fellow of the British Academy, and General Editor of the Cambridge Works of Ben Jonson. He has written extensively on early modern drama and Jonson's masques in particular, including how these productions functioned as political texts, cultural events, and artistic achievements.

Martin joins us today to help us explore what a masque was exactly, how masques are different from a play, and why it was that Jonson's masques were so special.

Merry Christmas! This holiday season, we're taking a trip back to one of the most extravagant Christmas celebrations of Shakespeare's lifetime—the Christmas of 1603, when the newly crowned James I hosted his first royal festivities as King of England. The court was alive with feasting, pageantry, and opulent merrymaking. It was a moment of political transition, and James made sure his first Christmas made a powerful impression.

The newly renamed King's Men, Shakespeare's company, performed for the court, securing their new royal patronage. Alongside these performances were dazzling masques, intricate entertainments, and diplomatic displays designed to cement James's image as both a unifier and a sovereign of grandeur.

This week, our guide through the glittering halls of Whitehall Palace in the winter of 1603 is Martin Wiggins, Senior Research Fellow at the Shakespeare Institute, Stratford Upon Avon, author of British Drama 1533–1642: A Catalogue, and President of the Malone Society. Today, Martin joins us to share what made this holiday season so historically important, how theater helped James define his kingship, and what the royal court's festivities can teach us about Shakespeare's world. Stay with us—we're about to unwrap a Christmas filled with drama, diplomacy, and theatrical delight.

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

Merry Christmas! This holiday season, we're taking a trip back to one of the most extravagant Christmas celebrations of Shakespeare's lifetime—the Christmas of 1603, when the newly crowned James I hosted his first royal festivities as King of England. The court was alive with feasting, pageantry, and opulent merrymaking. It was a moment of political transition, and James made sure his first Christmas made a powerful impression.

The newly renamed King's Men, Shakespeare's company, performed for the court, securing their new royal patronage. Alongside these performances were dazzling masques, intricate entertainments, and diplomatic displays designed to cement James's image as both a unifier and a sovereign of grandeur.

This week, our guide through the glittering halls of Whitehall Palace in the winter of 1603 is Martin Wiggins, Senior Research Fellow at the Shakespeare Institute, Stratford Upon Avon, author of British Drama 1533–1642: A Catalogue, and President of the Malone Society. Today, Martin joins us to share what made this holiday season so historically important, how theater helped James define his kingship, and what the royal court's festivities can teach us about Shakespeare's world. Stay with us—we're about to unwrap a Christmas filled with drama, diplomacy, and theatrical delight.

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