with Andrea Zuvich
“I think this be the most villanous house in all London road for fleas…” – Henry IV Part I (II.1)
So complains one of Shakespeare’s characters in The Merry Wives of Windsor, voicing what was surely a common frustration in the 16th and 17th centuries. Fleas were an ever-present part of daily life—so much so that they appeared in poems, jokes, love songs, and even seven different times across Shakespeare’s plays. This week, we’re scratching the surface of these itchy invaders to explore what their presence reveals about hygiene, health, and humor in the early modern world. Our guest is 17th-century historian Andrea Zuvich, here to help us explore how people really managed fleas in Shakespeare’s lifetime.
Looking for the Extras?
Want to see what flea combs, pest-control traps, and flea-ridden woodcuts looked like in Shakespeare’s time? Explore all the visual extras for this episode, including primary documents, historical artifacts, and early modern illustrations—available exclusively for patrons.
Summary
In this episode, Cassidy Cash talks with historian Andrea Zuvich about fleas in the 16th and 17th centuries. From period flea traps to the poetic uses of parasites, this conversation explores how people in Shakespeare’s lifetime responded to infestations and what those responses reveal about their health beliefs, daily routines, and even courtship rituals. Andrea highlights historical diary entries, self-help manuals like The English Housewife, and popular herbal remedies of the day. Plus, we discuss how fleas were thought to spread, their surprising role in plague history, and what it meant to suffer a “flea’s death.”
Key Takeaways
- Fleas were universal: All classes dealt with fleas—nobles, servants, men, women, and children alike.
- Fleas in literature: They were featured in poetry, jokes, Shakespeare’s plays, and even erotic verse like John Donne’s “The Flea.”
- Flea hotspots: Bedding, rushes, and clothing were common infestation sites.
- Period remedies: Flea combs, blood-baited traps, herbal sachets, and bowls of water with floating candles were used to manage infestations.
- Scientific curiosity: Robert Hooke’s Micrographia offered one of the first magnified illustrations of a flea.
- Medical confusion: People didn’t connect fleas with plague; they blamed “pestilential airs.”
- Historical diaries: Writers like Samuel Pepys documented their nightly battles with biting fleas in vivid detail.
- Dangerous cosmetics: Some “treatments” involved toxic concoctions like mercury and quicksilver.
About Today’s Guest
Andrea Zuvich is a 17th-century historian, historical consultant, and author known for her work The Seventeenth Century Lady. Her writing includes both fiction and nonfiction, and she’s especially passionate about bringing early modern daily life to wider audiences.
Connect with Andrea: On X: @17thCenturyLady
At her website: https://www.andreazuvich.com/
On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/17thCenturyLady
Resources Our Guest Recommends
- Primary sources like the diaries of Samuel Pepys
- The English Housewife by Gervase Markham (1615)
- Robert Hooke’s Micrographia (1665)
Relevant Links
- Explore Andrea’s work: The Seventeenth Century Lady
- Learn more about the Stuart History Festival
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