Hey, this is Heather from the Renaissance English History Podcast, and this is your Tudor Minute for April 23.
Today is both the birthday and the anniversary of the death of William Shakespeare. Born in Stratford upon Avon, he is remembered as one of the greatest writers in English, inventing almost two thousand words that are in our dictionary today, and bringing his vibrant imagination to the burgeoning Elizabethan Theater.
There is still debate about Shakespeare’s life, what happened to him during the lost years between when he was in Stratford, and when he reappeared in London, and how a man of his means could have written the works that he did. Whether you believe in one of the many alternative theories about who he was, or wasn’t, you can’t deny that his words are moving, even now, four hundred years later. Let’s remember him with one of my favorite quotes – “Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player, that struts and frets his hour upon the stage, and then is heard no more; it is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing,” from Macbeth.
That’s your Tudor Minute for today. Remember you can dive deeper into life in 16th century England through the Renaissance English History Podcast at englandcast.com where I have several episodes on both Shakespeare, and the Elizabethan Theater.
Links:
Episode 097: Shakespeare and Love
Episode 44: Elizabethan Theater
Introduction to Shakespeare’s Life
The Theater Part III: The Other Major Players Who Aren’t Named Shakespeare