Starlings in Shakespeare’s England

Starlings in Shakespeare’s England

In Shakespeare’s Henry IV, Part 1, Hotspur delivers a chilling threat against King Richard:  “I’ll have a starling shall be taught to speak  Nothing but ‘Mortimer,’ and give it him  To keep his anger still in motion.”  It’s a line rooted...
Monkeys and Apes in Shakespeare’s England

Monkeys and Apes in Shakespeare’s England

In this episode of That Shakespeare Life, we explore the surprising presence of monkeys, apes, and baboons in early modern England and the role these animals played in the culture of Shakespeare’s world. Shakespeare refers to primates dozens of times in his plays, and...