Shakespeare

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

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

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?

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

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.

The Romans referred to the days of the month by their relation to the 'Kalends,' the 'Ides,' and the 'Nones.' If Caesar had been killed any other day, his famous warning might have sounded much less ominous.

The Oscar-winning Best Picture—which didn't win any accolades for its historical accuracy—arrived in theaters 20 years ago.

His father's grave debts probably influenced the Bard's writing on class and money.

Archaeologists on site at The Theatre during the 2008 excavation

It hasn't been seen by the public in more than 400 years.

Even if death, the Bard was eloquent.

If you've ever dreamed of owning a pair of Sir Patrick Stewart's shorts, here's your chance.

An incredible number of lines from William Shakespeare's plays have become so ingrained in modern vernacular that we no longer recognize them as lines from plays at all.

Even 400 years after Shakespeare's death, scholars are still debating.

Just like the English Bard, Tang died in 1616, and he also penned dramatic works and romances.

"To E, or not to E, that is the question."

PierreSelim, Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 3.0

One hundred European starlings released in Central Park in 1890 have turned into 200 million across the U.S. today. Now scientists are looking into their genetic diversity.

New York Public Library via The Public Theater

A special branch of New York City’s Public Theater brings the Bard’s plays to underserved communities in the metro area.

Happy Talk Like Shakespeare Day!

Poem vs. Sonnet: What’s the Difference?

6 Misconceptions About Famous Books and Authors

Titular vs. Eponymous: What’s the Difference?

5 People Who Were Amazingly Productive In Quarantine

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

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

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

6 Puzzling Anachronisms That Made It Into Shakespeare’s Plays

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

Romeo And Juliet’s Balcony Scene Is A Lie

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

If March 15 Is the Ides of March, What Does That Make March 16?

12 Facts About Shakespeare in Love

Newly Discovered Documents Reveal Details of William Shakespeare's Early Years, Based on His Father's Financial Fall

The Long-Buried 16th-Century Theater Where Shakespeare's Earliest Plays Were Performed Will Reopen

The Curse on Shakespeare's Grave

Royal Shakespeare Company Auctions Off Costumes Worn By Ian McKellen, Judi Dench, Patrick Stewart, and More

21 Phrases You Use Without Realizing You're Quoting William Shakespeare

Do We Actually Know What Shakespeare Looked Like?

Archaeologists Discover Tomb of 'Chinese Shakespeare' Tang Xianzu

Battle of the Bards: UCLA and USC Argue Over Statue's Spelling of Shakespeare

Scientists Study the Starling Invasion Unleashed on America by a Shakespeare Fan

Shakespeare on the Go: Inside the Public Theater's Traveling 'Mobile Unit'

11 Strange Shakespeare Adaptations