SHAKESPEARE

William Shakespeare’s Sister, Joan, Emerges in Long-Lost Writings

A fascinating new discovery has emerged about a pamphlet found in the rafters of William Shakespeare’s childhood home.

There are a lot of people who don’t think Shakespeare was actually Shakespeare.

8 Shakespeare Conspiracy Theories

Discover the controversial conspiracy theories that challenge Shakespeare’s authorship, from the Baconian Theory to the Alien Theory and beyond.

12 Historical Conspiracy Theories

From doubt over Shakespeare’s existence to Lincoln’s assassination, conspiracy theories have been around for centuries.

You Bull’s Pizzle! Breaking Down 10 Iconic Shakespeare Insults

Here’s how to pepper your next argument with Shakespearean insults.

100 Facts That Will Make You Go “WTF”

Weird but fascinating facts about everything from the guy who dragged cars with his nipples to frogs shedding (and eating!) their own skin.

This Word Search Features 12 Terms Coined by Authors—How Fast Can You Spot Them?

Do you know which author invented ‘factoid’—or what it really means? But more importantly, can you find it in this word search?

11 Facts About Shakespeare’s First Folio

Officially titled 'Mr. William Shakespeare’s Comedies, Histories, and Tragedies,' the more than 900-page tome collected together 36 of the Renaissance writer’s plays for the first time.

Add "like an boar in a frank" to the list of Shakespearisms you should be using more.

10 Little-Used Shakespearisms

Not all of Shakespeare’s snappiest phrases and expressions caught on.

One of Shakespeare's First Folios (not this one) was stolen from a cathedral in England in 1998.

7 Times Literary Works Were Stolen

A number of valuable, important, or rare manuscripts have been swiped from authors or the individuals or institutions tasked with taking care of them. Here’s a sampling of them.

How do I tell if thee is a sonnet? Let me count the lines.

Poem vs. Sonnet: What’s the Difference?

Plenty of poems are love poems. Why aren’t all of them considered sonnets? In short, rhyme scheme, length, and structure.

No, William Shakespeare probably wasn't secretly the Earl of Oxford.

6 Misconceptions About Famous Books and Authors

Even devout bibliophiles might believe some of these misconceptions about Jane Austen, Ernest Hemingway, and William Shakespeare.

11 Fun Face Masks That Show Off Your Love of Books

We have compiled 11 book-themed face masks showing off banned books, library cards, and famous characters like Mr. Darcy.

Miranda is an important character in Shakespeare's The Tempest, but she's not the titular role.

Titular vs. Eponymous: What’s the Difference?

The definition of ‘eponymous’ has changed over time, and ‘titular’ has more than one. Here’s how to use each word correctly.

Patrick Stewart Is Reading a Different Shakespeare Sonnet Live Every Day

If you're looking for something to do at home, tune into Patrick Stewart's Instagram every day to hear him read a different sonnet by Shakespeare.

5 People Who Were Amazingly Productive In Quarantine

It's not a myth: William Shakespeare really did write 'King Lear' during the plague. From Edvard Munch to Isaac Newton, here are a few more people who made the most of being isolated.

Macbeth and the three witches in Shakespeare's possibly cursed play.

The Scottish Play: Why Actors Won’t Call Macbeth by Its Title

The superstition that saying “Macbeth” will bring bad luck has been around as long as Shakespeare’s play has.

Write a Letter to Shakespeare’s Juliet for a Chance to Spend Valentine’s Day in Her Romantic Verona Home

If you win, you’ll get a Michelin-star meal, a personal butler, and the chance to reenact the famous 'Romeo and Juliet' scene from Juliet’s balcony.

John Adams: Hulton Archive/Stringer/Getty Images. Thomas Jefferson: Print Collector/Getty Images

When John Adams and Thomas Jefferson Stole a Piece of Shakespeare's Chair

John Adams and Thomas Jefferson chipped off a piece of wood from Shakespeare's chair in the 18th century—but only because everyone else was doing it.

Artificial Intelligence Identifies Shakespeare's Co-Writer on 'Henry VIII'

The Bard is widely regarded as the greatest playwright in the history of the English language, but what if he had a little help?

6 Puzzling Anachronisms That Made It Into Shakespeare’s Plays

From the clock in ‘Julius Caesar’ to Machiavelli in ‘Henry VI,’ the Bard made a few (possibly intentional) mistakes.

Annotations in Copy of Shakespeare's First Folio May Have Been John Milton's

William Shakespeare had an enormous influence on "Paradise Lost" poet John Milton, and new evidence suggests that super fan Milton—who even wrote a poem called "On Shakespeare"—might have owned his idol's first folio.

William Hatherell, Shakespeare Illustrated, Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons

Romeo And Juliet’s Balcony Scene Is A Lie

Shakespeare supposedly wrote his play about star-crossed lovers, Romeo and Juliet, between 1591 and 1595. So how did the balcony become integrated into one of the greatest literary tragedies of all time?

14 Surprising Facts About William Shakespeare

Despite his many contributions to English literature, surprisingly little is known about William Shakespeare's life. Here's what we do know about the celebrated actor, poet, and playwright.

Kenneth Branagh as William Shakespeare in All Is True (2019).

Fact-Checking 13 Plot Points in All Is True, Kenneth Branagh’s Shakespeare Biopic

Despite what the title might imply, Kenneth Branagh took some creative liberties with 'All Is True,' the William Shakespeare biopic he directed and stars in.