Best Shakespeare Podcasts (2024)

1
Raising Geese in Shakespeare's England 24:45

31m ago24:45

24:45

After the image of William Shakespeare himself, perhaps the most famous objects associated with William Shakespeare has to be the quill pen, but was this pen actually made of goose feathers, and if so, how was it made? Of course the quill pen is far from the only use for geese in the 16-17th century, as reflected in Shakespeare’s plays where the ba…

1
King Lear | Episode 34 - Virtue and Obedience 7:48

1h ago7:48

7:48

The Hamlet Podcast - a weekly exploration of Shakespeare's King Lear.Act II Scene i - Cornwall and Regan explain the purpose of their visit, ending the scene and hinting at the approaching showdown.Written and presented by Conor HanrattyBy Conor Hanratty

1
The Price of Authorship Studies 1:22:41

1h ago1:22:41

1:22:41

Steven welcomes Diana Price to this episode to discuss her seminal work, "Shakespeare's Unorthodox Biography," now heralding truth about the importance of authorship markers for more than two decades. Support the show by picking up official Don't Quill the Messenger merchandise at www.dontquillthepodcast.com and becoming a Patron at http://www.patr…

1
Henry VI, part 2 chapter 1

2d ago

—

Henry VI, part 2 chapter 1 --Please leave us a rating on Apple Podcasts!-- Website: pendantaudio.com Twitter: @pendantweb Facebook: facebook.com/pendantaudio Tumblr: pendantaudio.tumblr.com YouTube: youtube.com/pendantproductions

1
Throughlines, with Ayanna Thompson and Ruben Espinosa 32:52

7d ago32:52

32:52

How can educators effectively incorporate discussions about race into the study of Shakespeare and other premodern texts in the college classroom? Barbara Bogaev speaks with scholars Ayanna Thompson and Ruben Espinosa about Throughlines, a pedagogical resource developed by the Arizona Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies at Arizona State Uni…

1
Toothbrushes, Toothpicks, and Oral Care 43:15

4d ago43:15

43:15

The Clown in Alls Well That Ends Well talks about picking his teeth, and Coriolanus gives an admonishment about hygiene when he says “Bid them wash their faces And keep their teeth clean.” John Holland in Henry VI Part 2 talks about having teeth pulled, and in the Winter’s Tale the clown talks about being able to identify a nobleman by how he picks…

1
King Lear | Episode 34 - Expense and Waste 11:19

5d ago11:19

11:19

The Hamlet Podcast - a weekly exploration of Shakespeare's King Lear.Act II Scene i - Cornwall and Regan arrive, full of questions and ideas about what's been happening in Gloucester's house. Written and presented by Conor HanrattyBy Conor Hanratty

1
Julius Caesar: Act V (rerun) 1:14:57

7d ago1:14:57

1:14:57

This episode is brought to you The Classic Learning Test - a fantastic alternative to the ACT and SAT. Learn more at cltexam.com. Welcome back to The Play's the Thing, where we're working through Shakespeare one act at a time. Today Heidi, Brian, and Matt discuss Act V of Julius Caesar, focusing on the nature of tragedy, Shakespearean chiastic stru…

1
Single, Independent, Women in the 16th century 26:11

11d ago26:11

26:11

You may be surprised to learn that marriage in the 16th century was not required, nor a foregone conclusion, for all women of this time period. In addition to spinsters, who were older women that had never been married, there were widows that lost their husband, women who were divorced or separated from their husbands, and still some women who our …

1
King Lear | Episode 33 - Natural Boy 11:01

17d ago11:01

11:01

The Hamlet Podcast - a weekly exploration of Shakespeare's King Lear.Act II Scene i - Edmund's plot thickens, and Gloucester makes a decision.Written and presented by Conor HanrattyBy Conor Hanratty

1
250 Much Ado About Interrogation 39:24

13d ago39:24

39:24

Much Ado About Nothing – Act IV scene 2 Dogberry goes about to examine the malefactors in the eftest way.

1
Conspiracy Realist 1:46:18

16d ago1:46:18

1:46:18

Steven welcomes fellow podcaster and the host of Conspiracy Realist, Shane Skwarek, to this episode to discuss Shane's discovery of the Shakespeare Authorship Mystery, how it compares to other conspiracy theories he has studied, and what actually qualifies as a conspiracy. Support the show by picking up official Don't Quill the Messenger merchandis…

1
Julius Caesar: Act IV (rerun) 1:07:58

14d ago1:07:58

1:07:58

Welcome back to The Play's the Thing, where Heidi, Matt, and Brian discussing Julius Caesar. This episode is all about act IV and topics of conversation include the shifting dynamics in the aftermath of Caesar's death + suicide, failed rhetoric, and the tension between conspirators. Remember: subscribe, rate, review! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/…

1
Juliet, Then and Now, with Sophie Duncan 37:23

17d ago37:23

37:23

Was Romeo and Juliet your first brush with Shakespeare? Whether it was on stage, on screen in films by Franco Zeffirelli or Baz Luhrmann or Shonda Rhimes' Still Star-Crossed, or in the pages of the Folger Shakespeare edition, your early experience probably shaped how you see Juliet. Over 400 years, our thinking about Shakespeare's first tragic hero…

1
Atheism in Shakespeare's England 51:57

24d ago51:57

51:57

To live in England during Shakespeare’s lifetime was to be Protestant, or at least as far as the Queen was concerned. The lack of religious freedom in early modern England doesn’t mean alternate belief systems did not exist, only that they were hidden. One powerful belief system that riled up conservative members of society and incited objection pa…

1
King Lear | Episode 32 - The Murderous Coward 11:59

19d ago11:59

11:59

The Hamlet Podcast - a weekly exploration of Shakespeare's King Lear.Act II Scene i - Gloucester arrives, eager to learn where Edgar is.Written and presented by Conor HanrattyBy Conor Hanratty

1
Julius Caesar: Act III (rerun) 1:11:39

25d ago1:11:39

1:11:39

Welcome back to The Play's the Thing where we're talking Shakespeare one act at a time. This week, Heidi, Matt, and Brian discuss Julius Caesar, Act III. There's lots of speech-making in this act so, yeah, they discuss that. And ambiguous characters. And whether stabbing Caesar was justified. And the enigma of Mark Antony. And more. Enjoy! Hosted o…

1
Accidental Deaths 41:16

29d ago41:16

41:16

Deaths were a common occurrence on stage for Shakespeare’s characters, but the wild and often macabre deaths we see in his plays were not actually far off from the deaths that occurred in real life for the 16-17th century. From poisonings to beheadings, one person who knew a lot about how people died in Shakespeare’s lifetime was the coroner who jo…

1
King Lear | Episode 31 - My Father 11:11

26d ago11:11

11:11

The Hamlet Podcast - a weekly exploration of Shakespeare's King Lear.Act II Scene i - Edmund shows us just how determined he is to frame his brother. Written and presented by Conor HanrattyBy Conor Hanratty

1
Julius Caesar: Act II (rerun) 1:09:17

1M ago1:09:17

1:09:17

Welcome back to The Play's the Thing where contributors from the Close Reads Podcast Network discuss Shakespeare's canon one act at a time. In this episode, Heidi White, Matt Bianco, and Brian Phillips continue discussion of Julius Caesar, with discussion touching on friendship, brooding, what makes rhetoric effective, and why men involved in polit…

1
Remembering Alexander Waugh 1:19:20

28d ago1:19:20

1:19:20

Steven is joined by frequent guest, Dr. Earl Showerman, to deliver a farewell to Oxfordian luminary Alexander Waugh, whose recent passing has been felt across the literary spectrum, and most among the Oxfordian community. Support the show by picking up official Don't Quill the Messenger merchandise at www.dontquillthepodcast.com and becoming a Patr…

1
Completing the Canon: Barry Edelstein on The Old Globe's Henry 6 37:34

1M ago37:34

37:34

This summer San Diego’s Old Globe became one of only 10 theaters in America who have produced all of Shakespeare’s plays (or 11, depending on how you count it) with their production of Henry VI, parts 1, 2, and 3. Artistic Director Barry Edelstein shares the details of how they tackled staging three rarely seen works with more than 150 characters, …

1
Globes: The Making of 16th Century Maps of the World 25:02

1M ago25:02

25:02

It is a frequent misconception that people from Shakespeare's lifetime believed the world was flat. In fact, the publication of the world on a spherical globe was not only well established across Europe by Shakespeare’s lifetime, but there are numerous portraits from the 16-17th century showing individuals owning and displaying spherical globes. Th…

1
King Lear | Episode 30 - Curan 8:04

1M ago8:04

8:04

The Hamlet Podcast - a weekly exploration of Shakespeare's King Lear.Act II Scene i - Back at Gloucester's house, we encounter Edmund and a character called Curan.Written and presented by Conor HanrattyBy Conor Hanratty

1
Julius Caesar: Act I (rerun) 1:14:22

1M ago1:14:22

1:14:22

Welcome back to The Play's the Thing. In this episode, Heidi White, Matt Bianco, and Brian Phillips kick off conversation on Julius Caesar, focusing on Act I. Conversation touches on why highschoolers should read this play, the historical context of the play, proper and improper rhetoric, whether Cassius is the devil, and much more. Remember: subsc…

1
Muckhills and Public Sanitation 33:24

1M ago33:24

33:24

Even William Shakespeare had to take out the garbage. In his hometown of Stratford Upon Avon, public waste was managed through a system of piles known as muck hills. In 1552, William Shakespeare’s father, John Shakespeare, was charged a fine for one of these muck hills that was kept across the street from his home on Henley Street. For a long time,…

1
King Lear | Episode 29 - Let Me Not Be Mad 14:45

1M ago14:45

14:45

The Hamlet Podcast - a weekly exploration of Shakespeare's King Lear.Act I Scene v - Lear and the Fool prepare for their journey. But will it be to Gloucester or to Cornwall?Written and presented by Conor HanrattyBy Conor Hanratty

1
Much Ado About Romance 1:14:47

1M ago1:14:47

1:14:47

Steven welcomes prominent romance novelist and fellow Shakespeare mystery sleuth Leigh Michaels to this episode to discuss her incredible volume of work, her process as a prolific writer, and how that led her to question the Stratfordian narrative, ultimately writing a book on the subject called Much Ado About Shakespeare. Support the show by picki…

1
249 Much Ado About Revenge 1:28:06

2M ago1:28:06

1:28:06

Much Ado About Nothing – Act IV scene 1 The worst wedding, two confessions of love, and a promise of death.

1
Colman Domingo on Sing Sing and the Power of Theater 30:10

2M ago30:10

30:10

Can a musical comedy featuring Hamlet and Nightmare on Elm Street’s Freddy Krueger change lives? Actor, playwright, and director Colman Domingo thinks so. In Sing Sing, a new film from A24, Domingo stars in a true story about the power of theater. Inspired by the real-life Rehabilitation through the Arts program at Sing Sing Maximum Security Prison…

1
Paracelsus , the physician everyone thought was crazy 30:24

2M ago30:24

30:24

In the late 16th to early 17th century, a medical movement saw a meteoric rise in popularity known as Paracelsianism. Based on the writings of a physician who had died in 1541, the movement developed quite a cult following, with many claiming Paracelsus was able to work miracles of healing. Debate over the legitimacy of Paracelsus’ work became so h…

1
King Lear | Episode 28 - A Hundred Knights! 10:18

2M ago10:18

10:18

The Hamlet Podcast - a weekly exploration of Shakespeare's King Lear.Act I Scene iv - Goneril and Albany regroup and end the scene..Written and presented by Conor HanrattyBy Conor Hanratty

1
The Arden Family and the Death of Edward Arden 38:28

2M ago38:28

38:28

William Shakespeare’s mother, Mary, was Mary Arden before she married her husband, John Shakespeare. Mary’s possible connection to the gentry Arden family has fascinated scholars and Shakespeare fans for many years. The Arden family was an established English gentry family in Warwickshire, and 1 of a handful of Tudor families in England who could t…

1
King Lear | Episode 27 - Hot Tears 11:36

2M ago11:36

11:36

The Hamlet Podcast - a weekly exploration of Shakespeare's King Lear.Act I Scene iv - Lear storms back in, furious at yet another insult.Written and presented by Conor HanrattyBy Conor Hanratty

1
A Measure of Justice 1:05:13

2M ago1:05:13

1:05:13

Steven reviews the legal aspects of "Measure For Measure," calling upon a thesis published in 2004 by Virginia R. Stephens as a profound examination into the play's depiction of the qualities of justice in Elizabethan society and beyond. Support the show by picking up official Don't Quill the Messenger merchandise at www.dontquillthepodcast.com and…

1
The Brief Life and Big Impact of the Federal Theatre Project, with James Shapiro 36:36

2M ago36:36

36:36

Imagine: a fiercely idealistic, politically progressive artist takes the stand at a hearing of the House Un-American Activities Committee. The chair of the committee is a hard-right demagogue with a gift for sound bites and a fixation with Communism. If you’re picturing Joseph McCarthy’s anti-Communist crusade in the 1950s… think two decades earlie…

1
Reproduction, Gynecology, and Female Anatomy 41:48

2M ago41:48

41:48

In 1616, the year that William Shakespeare died, anatomist Helikiah Crooke published a book of medical diagrams that included a surprisingly high level of detail about human anatomy for a society that didn’t yet have powerful instruments like a microscope. However, noticeably absent from his medical drawings are any anatomically correct terms for t…

1
King Lear | Episode 26 - Ingratitude 14:41

2M ago14:41

14:41

The Hamlet Podcast - a weekly exploration of Shakespeare's King Lear.Act I Scene iv - Lear answers Goneril's claims with a shocking curse.Written and presented by Conor HanrattyBy Conor Hanratty

1
Much Ado About Nothing: Act 5 (rerun) 1:29:44

2M ago1:29:44

1:29:44

Join Andrew Kern and Angelina Stanford for the conclusion of their discussion about Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing. If you like this show remember to subscribe, rate, and review. Support us on Patreon! To learn more about the Close Reads Podcast Network please click here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

1
Morocco the Dancing Horse 26:33

2M ago26:33

26:33

It wasn’t only people who served as performers in Shakespeare’s lifetime, animals, too were often trained to perform in street demonstrations, and one very unique animal captured the hearts of the popular entertainment word as a famous dancing horse named Morocco. Morocco was famous during Shakespeare’s lifetime, with over 70 woodcuts published sho…

1
King Lear | Episode 25 - Are You Our Daughter? 21:43

2M ago21:43

21:43

The Hamlet Podcast - a weekly exploration of Shakespeare's King Lear.Act I Scene iv - Goneril appears, thoroughly enraged at her father and his retinue.Bumper episode this week, since I wasn't able to record one last time. I hope you enjoy it! Written and presented by Conor HanrattyBy Conor Hanratty

1
Shake-Speare's Sonnets by Anne Hathaway-Shaksper 59:41

2M ago59:41

59:41

Steven welcomes Dr. Chris Summers to this episode to discuss Summers' works dedicated to the theory that the works of Shakespeare were actually written by Anne Hathaway, wife to William Shaksper of Stratford. Summers' published books specifically examine the Sonnets as written by Anne to William. Support the show by picking up official Don't Quill …

1
Much Ado About Nothing: Act 4 (rerun) 1:14:32

2M ago1:14:32

1:14:32

In this episode of The Play's the Thing, Andrew Kern and Angelina Stanford discuss Act IV of Much Ado About Nothing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1
A Tour of the Newly-Reopened Folger | Part 2: Research at the Folger 31:13

2M ago31:13

31:13

After a four-year renovation, the Folger Shakespeare Library is now open with 12,000 square feet of new public spaces. But behind the scenes, in our original building, we’ve also revamped the way we serve researchers working with the world’s largest Shakespeare collection. On this episode, host Barbara Bogaev talks with Director of Collections Greg…

1
Listening to Broadside Ballads from the 17th Century 45:21

3M ago45:21

45:21

When Shakespeare mentions ballads in his plays, he uses adjectives like odious and woeful, mentioning both the ballad makers in Coriolanus, and the people who sell them, known as the ballad mongers, in Henry IV Part 1. Shakespeare’s has over 20 references to ballads throughout his works, all of which tell us that these songs were written in ink, pu…

1
248 Much Ado About Anticipation 39:27

3M ago39:27

39:27

Much Ado About Nothing – Act III, scene 4, 5 Hero prepares for her wedding, Beatrice isn’t feeling so hot, Dogberry and Verges have it handled.

1
Much Ado About Nothing: Act 3 (rerun) 1:14:42

3M ago1:14:42

1:14:42

Welcome back to The Play's the Thing where Andrew Kern and Angelina Stanford are discussing Act 3 of Much Ado About Nothing. Conversation touches on how the play would have come off in Shakespeare's day, the way Shakespeare plays with verse/prose depending on the status of the character, the theme is self-deception and self-knowledge, the famous sc…

1
Math History, Figures, Numbers, and Shakespeare 32:36

3M ago32:36

32:36

Throughout his works, Shakespeare references math terminology that goes well beyond the artithmetic education we expect him to have received at grammar school. There’s history behind the references that shares not only where Shakespeare would have learned about higher mathematics, but Shakespeare’s choices for specific math terms reflect major chan…

1
King Lear | Episode 24 - Thy Bald Crown 12:43

3M ago12:43

12:43

The Hamlet Podcast - a weekly exploration of Shakespeare's King Lear.Act I Scene iv - The Fool explains his egg story and continues to question Lear's actions.Written and presented by Conor HanrattyBy Conor Hanratty

1
Tolkien vs. Shakespeare 55:12

3M ago55:12

55:12

Steven explores Tolkien's professed hatred for the works of Shakespeare while pointing to how much Tolkien's works were actually influenced by the Bard he appeared to be so jealous of, and whether Tolkien's vitriol may have been rooted in his skepticism over Shakespeare authorship. Support the show by picking up official Don't Quill the Messenger m…

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