Shakespeare uses the word “castle” over 40 times in his works. He talks about sieging a castle, the power of castle walls, and even mentions specific real life castles by name including Berkley Castle and “Pomfret” castle which is another name for Pontefract Castle, along with at least a dozen more. These castles were prominent features in the landscape of Shakespeare’s lifetime, playing roles both in their commanding presence on the visual horizon on the physical landscape, but also their place in society, monarchy, and the broader political landscape as well. In this week’s episode we’ll explore the castles of Shakespeare’s lifetime, looking at which castles were actively in use around England, as well as what they were used for, major events that occurred there, and which of these architectural giants survive to the present day, allowing us to visit them centuries later. Here this week to take us on a tour of the real castles mentioned in Shakespeare’s plays is our guest, Audrey Thorstad.
Please subscribe on your favorite listening platform and leave us a rating & review to help others discover our show.
Subscribe
Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | TuneIn | GooglePlay |
Looking for the Extras?
Explore more about the castles we discussed in this episode with our detailed show notes—featuring historical images, maps, and fascinating resources to bring Shakespeare’s world of castles to life. Access the extras here!
Listener Insights & Episode Update
Here at That Shakespeare Life, we love how curious and engaged our listeners are—it’s what makes this community so special! After our latest episode, we heard from two wonderful listeners, Margaret Gaskin and Alison Hebborn, who shared some great points I wanted to pass along:
✨ About the Closest Castle
Our guest mentioned Bristol Castle as “perhaps” the closest to Stratford-upon-Avon, but Warwick Castle is actually much nearer—just 9 miles from Shakespeare’s hometown, compared to about 72 miles for Bristol. Warwick has a fascinating history connected to Shakespeare’s world. We didn’t correct this mention on the air since our conversation focused on a pre-selected list of castles that didn’t include Warwick. Like you, we care deeply about historical accuracy and are excited to feature Warwick Castle in a future episode to give it the attention it deserves.
✨ Two Rivers Named Avon
We also talked about Bristol Castle being “downriver on the Avon” from Stratford, which can be a bit confusing! While both the Bristol Avon and the Warwickshire Avon share the same name (from the Celtic word afon, meaning “river”), they’re actually two separate rivers roughly 55 miles apart. It’s an easy mix-up, but one we’re happy to clear up—both rivers eventually reach the Bristol Channel, but by different routes. You can learn more about the Bristol Avon here.
We’re so grateful to Margaret Gaskin and Alison Hebborn for reaching out after this episode to bring these points to our attention for the benefit of our wonderful history community here at That Shakespeare Life. Thank you for being part of our curious, engaged community of Shakespeare enthusiasts!
Audrey Thorstad
Dr. Audrey Thorstad is the programming associate at the Hill Museum & Manuscript Library at Saint John’s University in Minnesota. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Leeds in 2015. She taught at Bangor University in Wales until 2020, after which she was an assistant professor at the University of North Texas. Audrey’s book, The Culture of Castles in Tudor England and Wales, explores the domestic spaces of Tudor castles in England and Wales. She has published numerous articles that examine activities performed at castles in the 16th century, including tournaments, family archives, licenses to crenellate, and heraldry. She has just finished curating an exhibition called Shakespeare’s Second Folio and the English Renaissance, available to view online at www.hmml.org under programs and exhibitions.
I’ll be asking Audrey Thorstad about:
- In Henry IV Part 1, Hotspur and the Earl of Northumberland are talking and Hotspur demands to know the name of the castle where “this vile politician Bolingbroke” calling it the place “in Gloucestershire; ‘Twas where the madcap duke his uncle kept” That comes from Act I Scene 3, for those following along in the plays. The Earl of Northumberland replies to this description saying it is Berkely Castle. Audrey, from Shakespeare’s description here we can guess this castle was in Gloucestershire, but tell us where it was located and why it was important to England’s history.
- In Merry Wives of Windsor, a group of people are having a conversation during which the Page says that he wouldn’t trade his companion’s bad mood for “All the wealth of Windsor” meaning Windsor Castle. Audrey, is this the same Windsor Castle where the current English monarch resides in London, and does that reference mean that this castle was in that same location in the 1590s when this play was written?
- In Richard II, Act II Scene 2, the character named “Green”, a servant to King Richard II, says he’s going to seek refuge at Bristol Castle. Later in the same play, Henry IV invites his compatriots to join him at Bristol Castle, which he describes as being “held By Bushy, Bagot and their complices, The caterpillars of the commonwealth, Which I have sworn to weed and pluck away.” Audrey, tell us about Bristol Castle. Is this location still there in England today, and what was special about it during Shakespeare’s lifetime?
- …and more!
Companion Episodes:
Books and Resources Audrey Thorstad recommends:
- The Gatehouse website —English and Welsh castles with bibliographies
- Castles Studies Trust, non profit that funds castle research
- Castle Studies Group – journal, you can be a member, invited to castle excursions and conferences, etc.
- The Heritage institutions that run the castles—Historic Scotland, etc.
p.s. Also on Patreon–we have virtual tours of several of these castles inside the Video Library. Walk around the grounds with us and hear historians share Shakespeare-related details about what was happening in that space for the 16-17th century.
Comment and Share
That Shakespeare Life is always excited to connect with fellow Shakespeareans who love learning something new about the bard. Subscribe to our show on your favorite listening platform, and please consider leaving us a rating and a review to help our show reach new listeners!
That’s it for this week! Thank you for listening! I’m Cassidy Cash and I hope you learn something new about the bard.
I’ll see you next time!
