That Shakespeare Life

By: Cassidy Cash
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  • Summary

  • Hosted by Cassidy Cash, That Shakespeare Life takes you behind the curtain and into the real life of William Shakespeare. Get bonus episodes on Patreon

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
    Cassidy Cash
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Episodes
  • Beavers Extinct in England by the 16th Century

    Beavers Extinct in England by the 16th Century
    Sep 30 2024
    In Henry IV Part 1, Vernon refers to the clothing of young Harry saying “I saw young Harry, with his beaver on…” There are at least 6 other references to the large, semi-aquatic rodent known as the beaver to be found in Shakespeare’s plays, and while many of Shakespeare’s references are talking about the helmet feature that opens and closes on the front of soldier’s face, the references are a reflection of the animal beaver that had been plentiful in the UK right up until Shakespeare’s lifetime, when they had been hunted for their fur, meat, and castoreum, a substance produced by their anal scent glands that was used in products like perfume. While beavers were once native to Britain, they were hunted to extinction during the 16th century, and have only recently started to be reintroduced to the UK. Our guest this week, Lee Raye, joins us to talk about the journey from native species to extinction for the beaver, how that impacted commerce and the landscape of England during Shakespeare’s lifetime, and to update us on the efforts to reintroduce the beaver to the UK that have been taking place recently. Get bonus episodes on Patreon

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    31 mins
  • Beaver Pelts Used for Everything From Hats to Medicine

    Beaver Pelts Used for Everything From Hats to Medicine
    Sep 23 2024
    During Shakespeare's lifetime England, along with other European nations, began intentional exploration to the New World, where they not only established colonies but established commerce relationships with the native tribes they found there. Exchanges in what the Dutch West India Company called ‘New Netherland’ included trades of beaver pelts and shell beads with tribes like the Algonquian Indians, who you may remember from our episodes on Squanto, Samoset, and The establishment of Fort Raleigh. Our guest this week has done an indepth project into the trade, commerce, and diplomatic relationships between Europeans and the native tribes of the New World, specifically looking at how beaver pelts (which were hugely popular in England for the 16-17th century) were traded and used for everything from hats to medicine. We are delighted to welcome Molly Leech to the show today to help us understand the role of wampum in Shakespeare’s history. Get bonus episodes on Patreon

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    33 mins
  • Raising Geese in Shakespeare's England

    Raising Geese in Shakespeare's England
    Sep 16 2024
    After the image of William Shakespeare himself, perhaps the most famous objects associated with William Shakespeare has to be the quill pen, but was this pen actually made of goose feathers, and if so, how was it made? Of course the quill pen is far from the only use for geese in the 16-17th century, as reflected in Shakespeare’s plays where the bard mentions geese well over a dozen times, talking about them being taken to market, people getting in trouble for stealing them, and as you might expect, there’s even references to plucking feathers. We have seen portraits of 16th century geese being used for elaborate meals, but you may not be as familiar with the process of getting from goose to table, or what kinds of products were made in the 16-17th century from geese, and what kind of people were in charge of overseeing this creation. Our guest this week is an expert in the history of early modern geese, having performed archaeological research that investigates how geese were kept, what they ate, and their uses in society for Shakespeare’s lifetime. We are delighted this week to welcome Dale Serjeanston to the show to share with us the history of the goose for Shakespeare’s England. Get bonus episodes on Patreon

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    25 mins
World Social Sciences
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