Worldwide Celebrations On The 400th Anniversary Of Shakespeare's Death
People are celebrating the Bard's life and enduring legacy around the world. Here's a look at how they're doing it, and how you can get engaged.
Shakespeare
In Shakespeare's Day, Hunger Tore Through England. His Plays Tell The Tale
Many food riots broke out during Shakespeare's era. Endless rain wiped out crops, and speculators profited (including the bard). The chaos and anxiety around food show up in some of his famous works.
Snacking In Shakespeare's Time: What Theatregoers Ate At The Bard's Plays
There were no dress circle lounges nor mezzanine bars 400 years ago. Back then, audience snacked on cold nibbles and ready-made street food from vendors they passed on their way to the performance.
Cooking With The Bard: We Suss Out Shakespeare's Forgotten Foods
References to obscure foods abound in Shakespeare. Know your codlings from carbonadoes? Your umbles from jumbles? We crack open Renaissance cookbooks to figure out how to feast like the Bard.
50 Shades Of Shakespeare: How The Bard Used Food As Racy Code
The eggplant and peach emoji are standard code for racy thoughts these days, but food has been used for sexual innuendo for centuries. Shakespeare was a pro. (Happy Shakespeare Week!)
In Shakespeare's Plays, Mealtimes Were A Recipe For Drama
It's difficult to name a play in which Shakespeare doesn't cook up a bit of conflict around the table. The juiciest plot twists often happened when characters gathered for a meal.
WATCH: Marbles Fight To The Bitter End For Victory
Take a break from the news for a totally compelling, entirely gravity-driven race that captured hearts and minds on the Internet this week. Plus: literary parodies, because this is NPR.
Is It All Greek To You? Thank Medieval Monks, And The Bard, For The Phrase
Ben Zimmer, language columnist at The Wall Street Journal, explains the origin of the phrase "it's all Greek to me" — and shares a few variants from other languages.
From Harpies To Heroines: How Shakespeare's Women Evolved
In her new book Women of Will, Tina Packer traces Shakespeare's maturation — and, she argues, the corresponding transformation of his female characters from caricatures to fully-realized humans.
At Last, A Fitting Farewell For Richard III
Richard III has been buried, two years after his abandoned bones were found under an abandoned parking lot. NPR's Scott Simon reflects on the man Shakespeare turned into one of his great characters.