The question of who was Will Shakespeare has been argued by academics and theater nerds for years. Could the man who was born to a local merchant, with a basic Elizabethan education and relatively meager prospects really be the man who wrote 36 timeless plays, invented new words and phrases, and whose work has endured nearly 500 years? Or is it possible that man from Stratford was just a pseudonym for someone else of more noble birth and higher education?
Throughout our series, we’ll explore the Man from Stratford’s life, history, and explore textual clues that will prove who owns Shakespeare’s words, relevance, and most importantly his legacy.
All content for Will: What Is He Good For? is the property of Classics on the Rocks and is served directly from their servers
with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.
The question of who was Will Shakespeare has been argued by academics and theater nerds for years. Could the man who was born to a local merchant, with a basic Elizabethan education and relatively meager prospects really be the man who wrote 36 timeless plays, invented new words and phrases, and whose work has endured nearly 500 years? Or is it possible that man from Stratford was just a pseudonym for someone else of more noble birth and higher education?
Throughout our series, we’ll explore the Man from Stratford’s life, history, and explore textual clues that will prove who owns Shakespeare’s words, relevance, and most importantly his legacy.
Over the past several episodes, we’ve explored some of the common themes presented in Shakespeare’s married couples that hint at how he felt about marriage.
1. In Julius Caesar, Calpurnia and Portia are clear examples of what happens when you don’t listen to your wife.
2. From Portia and Bassanio to Jessica and Lorenzo in Merchant of Venice - marriage doesn’t guarantee a happily ever after - but in finding common ground and a shared vision for life with your partner - happiness is within reach.
3. As demonstrated by Kate and Petruchio, marriage is a partnership and requires teamwork as you play the game of life.
There is one more concept that appears in Shakespeare’s plays frequently from his most famous couples to those lesser known. Trust.
Trust and respect is pivotal in nearly all relationships in Shakespeare, and he offers some pretty drastic consequences for letting a marriage break.
Today, we’ll look at two plays that sum up what we feel his perspective on marriage may have been... Macbeth and The Winter’s Tale.
Will: What Is He Good For?
The question of who was Will Shakespeare has been argued by academics and theater nerds for years. Could the man who was born to a local merchant, with a basic Elizabethan education and relatively meager prospects really be the man who wrote 36 timeless plays, invented new words and phrases, and whose work has endured nearly 500 years? Or is it possible that man from Stratford was just a pseudonym for someone else of more noble birth and higher education?
Throughout our series, we’ll explore the Man from Stratford’s life, history, and explore textual clues that will prove who owns Shakespeare’s words, relevance, and most importantly his legacy.
