Shakespeare General Resources
Mr. Marc Hufnagl
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Shakespeare's England - Shakespeare's Life - Shakespeare's Theater - Shakespeare's Language - Shakespeare Criticism - Shakespeare Authorship Debate - Shakespeare References
Tudor England and Elizabeth I - This is an attractive site for quick reference on historical information about the Tudor monarchy and the period.
Life in Elizabethan England - A rich source of information about the daily life, customs, mores, values, and social institutions of Elizabeth's time.
Shakespeare's Folklore and the English Holiday Cycle - Kristin McDermott, Assistant Professor of English Literature at Central Michigan University has written a fascinating article about the Elizabethans' interest in folklore and its impact on the holidays they celebrated. This information is useful to our study of A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Tempest, and King Lear, partciularly.
The Life of William Shakespeare - A general biographical overview of Shakespeare's life appearing on the Shakespeare in American Communities site sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts.
Stratford-Upon-Avon: Birthplace of Shakespeare - This site maintained to promote tourism in the area includes useful links to Shakespeare's birthplace, etc.
Shakespeare Timeline - A timeline of Will's life and work as they parallel Elizabthan and Jacobean historical events. Once on the site, click on "Shakespeare's Timeline."
Shakespeare's Marriage - Interesting background and speculation on Shakespeare's marriage to Anne Hathaway.
Last Will and Testament - This version in Elizabethan English hints at some of the Bard's attitudes and retrospections concerning his life, career, and family.
The Globe - Information regarding the recently re-constructed Globe Theater
Tour the Globe - A wonderful animated tour of the Globe with supplementary information about London theaters during the Fifteenth Century.
Theaters and Acting Troupes - This site provides a quick explanation of the theaters and the acting companies in existence during Shakespeare's time.
Music in Shakespeare's Plays - An overview outlining the use of music in Shakespeare's plays. A fine point of departure to begin your inquiry.
Renaissance Dance - This site provides information regarding European dance from the 15th through the early 17th Centuries.
Elizabethan Costuming - An amazingly comprehensive site that gives insightful information about costume design, construction, and relevance to the plays, among other topics.
Shakespeare's Language - A succinct explanation of the Bard's use of language.
Unlocking Shakespeare's Language - General information about Shakespeare's use of language, syntax, versification,unusual words, plus an on-line Shakespeare glossary. Click on any topic listed under "Section 1."
Shakespeare's Use of Archaic English - The article discusses whether Will may have deliberately used archaic words of the time in his texts and the possible rationale.
Evidence as to Order of Plays - A discussion/argument about when Shakespeare composed particular plays.
Shakespeare's Pacifism - Steven Marx of Cal Poly University's Department of English discusses Shakespeare's treatment of the disagreement between militarist and pacifist perceptions of warfare. Consider reading this in conjunction with your study of Othello and Macbeth.
Revisiting Shakespeare and Gender - An introduction to Shakespeare's awareness of the specific masculine/feminine gender attricutes expected in Elizabethan behavior as represented in his plays. This article makes a point that although the Bard's plays reflected gender stereotypes, his works also challenged them.
Beginner's Guide to the Shakespeare Authorship Problem - This Oxford Society site provides the groundwork and inital queries into this controversial problem.
If Not The Bard, Who? - The question continues to be posed: Did William Shakespeare actually pen all of his plays? This site introduces the theory and provides additional links on the authorship debate.
The Earl of Oxford Wrote the Plays - An argument that favors the theory that Edward De Vere, the Earl of Oxford was the actual author of the plays.
Bacon, Marlowe, and Stanley Authorship Arguments - Briefly discloses the premises to suppose these gentlemen were the actual authors of the plays.
Authorship Debate in Brief with Links - Overview of authorship theories with links for further inquiry.
Folger Shakespeare Library - A highly reliable source for general information about the Bard's life, times, work, and available scholarly research.
Shakespeare Illustrated - This site "explores 19th Century paintings, criticism and production of Shakespeare's plays, and their influences on one another."
Shake Sphere - An absolutely amazing source for plot summaries, background information, and themes plus essay topic ideas. Click on "The 41 Plays: Plot Summaries, Themes, and Analyses."
Shakespeare Festivals - An on-line source that lists major Shakespeare festivals by region in the United States.
Hazlitt's Catalog of Shakespeare's Characters - Though Willam Hazilitt composed these analyses of Shakespeare's characters in the nineteenth century, much of what he concludes has validity today.
The Two Noble Kinsmen - The e-text of one of the last collaborative efforts between the Bard and his successor, John Fletcher. Fascinating!