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Death By Shakespeare: Snakebites, Stabbings and Broken Hearts
William Shakespeare found dozens of different ways to kill off his characters, and audiences today still enjoy the same reactions – shock, sadness, fear – that they did more than 400 years ago when these plays were first performed. But how realistic are these deaths, and did Shakespeare have the knowledge to back them up?
In the Bard's day death was a part of everyday life. Plague, pestilence and public executions were a common occurrence, and the chances of seeing a dead or dying body on the way home from the theatre were high. It was also a time of important scientific progress. Shakespeare kept pace with anatomical and medical advances, and he included the latest scientific discoveries in his work, from blood circulation to treatments for syphilis. He certainly didn't shy away from portraying the reality of death on stage, from the brutal to the mundane, and the spectacular to the silly.
Elizabethan London provides the backdrop for Death by Shakespeare, as Kathryn Harkup turns her discerning scientific eye to the Bard and the varied and creative ways his characters die. Was death by snakebite as serene as Shakespeare makes out? Could lack of sleep have killed Lady Macbeth? Can you really murder someone by pouring poison in their ear? Kathryn investigates what actual events may have inspired Shakespeare, what the accepted scientific knowledge of the time was, and how Elizabethan audiences would have responded to these death scenes. Death by Shakespeare will tell you all this and more in a rollercoaster of Elizabethan carnage, poison, swordplay and bloodshed, with an occasional death by bear-mauling for good measure.
In the Bard's day death was a part of everyday life. Plague, pestilence and public executions were a common occurrence, and the chances of seeing a dead or dying body on the way home from the theatre were high. It was also a time of important scientific progress. Shakespeare kept pace with anatomical and medical advances, and he included the latest scientific discoveries in his work, from blood circulation to treatments for syphilis. He certainly didn't shy away from portraying the reality of death on stage, from the brutal to the mundane, and the spectacular to the silly.
Elizabethan London provides the backdrop for Death by Shakespeare, as Kathryn Harkup turns her discerning scientific eye to the Bard and the varied and creative ways his characters die. Was death by snakebite as serene as Shakespeare makes out? Could lack of sleep have killed Lady Macbeth? Can you really murder someone by pouring poison in their ear? Kathryn investigates what actual events may have inspired Shakespeare, what the accepted scientific knowledge of the time was, and how Elizabethan audiences would have responded to these death scenes. Death by Shakespeare will tell you all this and more in a rollercoaster of Elizabethan carnage, poison, swordplay and bloodshed, with an occasional death by bear-mauling for good measure.
368 pages, Paperback
First published March 5, 2020
92 people are currently reading
2157 people want to read
About the author
Kathryn Harkup
14 books97 followersKathryn Harkup is a chemist and author. Kathryn completed a PhD then a postdoc at the University of York before realising that talking, writing and demonstrating science appealed far more than spending hours slaving over a hot fume-hood. Kathryn went on to run outreach in engineering, computing, physics and maths at the University of Surrey, which involved writing talks on science and engineering topics that would appeal to bored teenagers, and she is now a science communicator delivering talks and workshops on the quirky side of science.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 172 reviews
April 13, 2023
This book helps a reader see that it is completely possible for an intelligent young man from the countryside who lacks a university education could absorb all that was needed to write the most lasting, beloved plays in the world. That and extraordinary talent of course. Harkup shows that death was close and familiar to everyone in his time, unlike today when people are likely to die in sanitized situations away from their homes and death rites are handled by outsiders. Shakespeare had seen it all, heard it all and read it all.
Harkup shows his familiarity with medicine, from learned doctors who never touched patients, to surgeons, to the herb women who most people would likely deal with. This meant he was familiar with everything from primitive ideas about blood circulation to vast information on plants and herbal cures to poisons. Coming to London as a young man he saw what was daily seen by his audiences—traitor’s heads on spikes, public hangings, street fights and people dying of all kinds of disease and misfortune.
Harkup uses quotes and action from the plays and explains a lot about stagecraft, which I found really interesting. A theatre company such as Shakespeare’s had a variety of props such as fake severed limbs and swords, but the single most expensive items were costumes. They had to be handled carefully, not washed too often and kept away from too much blood. Many plays were done at least in part in contemporary clothing and many of these were the clothing of aristocrats. At the time, when the wealthy tired of their clothing, it was common to reward servants with these beautiful items. Of course the house servant could not wear the velvet and gold breeches, but they could sell them to theatre companies. They were precious and not to be abused in sword fights and kept from excess blood. Mercrutio had to be air-stabbed and Julius Caesar was encircled by actors so that the audience didn’t need to see blood all over the costume. Many deaths occur offstage. Lightning striking two characters in a chariot would naturally have been impossible on stage. Fiery deaths were problematic anyway. The Globe Theatre was very flammable.
So much fascinating information. I’d read anything by this author.
Harkup shows his familiarity with medicine, from learned doctors who never touched patients, to surgeons, to the herb women who most people would likely deal with. This meant he was familiar with everything from primitive ideas about blood circulation to vast information on plants and herbal cures to poisons. Coming to London as a young man he saw what was daily seen by his audiences—traitor’s heads on spikes, public hangings, street fights and people dying of all kinds of disease and misfortune.
Harkup uses quotes and action from the plays and explains a lot about stagecraft, which I found really interesting. A theatre company such as Shakespeare’s had a variety of props such as fake severed limbs and swords, but the single most expensive items were costumes. They had to be handled carefully, not washed too often and kept away from too much blood. Many plays were done at least in part in contemporary clothing and many of these were the clothing of aristocrats. At the time, when the wealthy tired of their clothing, it was common to reward servants with these beautiful items. Of course the house servant could not wear the velvet and gold breeches, but they could sell them to theatre companies. They were precious and not to be abused in sword fights and kept from excess blood. Mercrutio had to be air-stabbed and Julius Caesar was encircled by actors so that the audience didn’t need to see blood all over the costume. Many deaths occur offstage. Lightning striking two characters in a chariot would naturally have been impossible on stage. Fiery deaths were problematic anyway. The Globe Theatre was very flammable.
So much fascinating information. I’d read anything by this author.
April 1, 2022
“Disease, in some form or other, is mentioned in every Shakespeare play.”
DEATH BY SHAKESPEARE was a text that I assumed I would enjoy, but it was much better than I was expecting. The book is an analysis of death as it is presented in Shakespeare’s plays. The text examines most of the portrayals of death and dying in the Bard’s works, and frankly it is an aspect of the plays that I had not given much consideration to before.
Author Kathryn Harkup has a science background, and it was really interesting to interact with Shakespeare through that lens. She presents quite a few complex scientific analyses in a very accessible manner.
The text is filled with really interesting bits, here is just a sampling-
Harkup writes that “Shakespeare went further than all his contemporaries in his portrayal of medicine and use of medical terms in his plays.” She then backs this up by examining the plays and then examining Elizabethan medicine and types of medical practice. I loved it.
A very cool tidbit was the section on the “English Sweating Sickness”. It is just intriguing, nothing else to say about it.
There is a brilliant chapter that focuses on sickness. The author makes so many awesome connections to Shakespeare’s works. She gives examinations of certain lines of text that make brilliant sense in the context of illness in which Harkup is examining them.
Ms. Harkup does an excellent job comparing medical/bodily knowledge in Shakespeare’s time to our own, and how that colors the line readings. For instance, when Lady Macbeth wonders that the murdered Duncan bleeds so profusely (“Who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him”) it is probably motivated by the Elizabethan belief that the body dried out as it aged. I love moments like that, and this book has many such!
Some interesting lines from the text:
• “Death is a process, not a single event and, depending on the circumstances, the process can take a relatively long time.”
• “Despite death being a universal experience, with millions of witnessed examples and centuries of scientific study, it is surprisingly difficult to define exactly what it is.”
• “Death may be due to a variety of diseases and disorders, but in every case the underlying physiological cause is a breakdown in the body’s oxygen cycle.”
• “When new diseases are introduced into a population they are initially more virulent as there is no previous immunity to defend against them. The symptoms in these initial infections are more exaggerated and can even differ markedly from the symptoms displayed by patients once the disease has become established in a population.”
• “The playwright’s incredible insights into the bleakest human experiences are unnervingly accurate.”
I enjoyed approaching Shakespeare through the eyes of a trained chemist, who focused on the scientific and medical aspects of death. It illuminated some Shakespeare for me in a new way. Harkup makes some astute observations about Shakespeare’s work, and she does it succinctly. As we know many of Shakespeare’s ideas and stories were not original, but his versions matter more because as Harkup says, “It is a much more complex depiction of human behavior and motivations than the original story.”
Ms. Harkup gets it, and her book DEATH BY SHAKESPEARE, SNAKEBITES, STABBINGS AND BROKEN HEARTS will hep you to get his work in a fuller way. I can give it no better praise.
DEATH BY SHAKESPEARE was a text that I assumed I would enjoy, but it was much better than I was expecting. The book is an analysis of death as it is presented in Shakespeare’s plays. The text examines most of the portrayals of death and dying in the Bard’s works, and frankly it is an aspect of the plays that I had not given much consideration to before.
Author Kathryn Harkup has a science background, and it was really interesting to interact with Shakespeare through that lens. She presents quite a few complex scientific analyses in a very accessible manner.
The text is filled with really interesting bits, here is just a sampling-
Harkup writes that “Shakespeare went further than all his contemporaries in his portrayal of medicine and use of medical terms in his plays.” She then backs this up by examining the plays and then examining Elizabethan medicine and types of medical practice. I loved it.
A very cool tidbit was the section on the “English Sweating Sickness”. It is just intriguing, nothing else to say about it.
There is a brilliant chapter that focuses on sickness. The author makes so many awesome connections to Shakespeare’s works. She gives examinations of certain lines of text that make brilliant sense in the context of illness in which Harkup is examining them.
Ms. Harkup does an excellent job comparing medical/bodily knowledge in Shakespeare’s time to our own, and how that colors the line readings. For instance, when Lady Macbeth wonders that the murdered Duncan bleeds so profusely (“Who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him”) it is probably motivated by the Elizabethan belief that the body dried out as it aged. I love moments like that, and this book has many such!
Some interesting lines from the text:
• “Death is a process, not a single event and, depending on the circumstances, the process can take a relatively long time.”
• “Despite death being a universal experience, with millions of witnessed examples and centuries of scientific study, it is surprisingly difficult to define exactly what it is.”
• “Death may be due to a variety of diseases and disorders, but in every case the underlying physiological cause is a breakdown in the body’s oxygen cycle.”
• “When new diseases are introduced into a population they are initially more virulent as there is no previous immunity to defend against them. The symptoms in these initial infections are more exaggerated and can even differ markedly from the symptoms displayed by patients once the disease has become established in a population.”
• “The playwright’s incredible insights into the bleakest human experiences are unnervingly accurate.”
I enjoyed approaching Shakespeare through the eyes of a trained chemist, who focused on the scientific and medical aspects of death. It illuminated some Shakespeare for me in a new way. Harkup makes some astute observations about Shakespeare’s work, and she does it succinctly. As we know many of Shakespeare’s ideas and stories were not original, but his versions matter more because as Harkup says, “It is a much more complex depiction of human behavior and motivations than the original story.”
Ms. Harkup gets it, and her book DEATH BY SHAKESPEARE, SNAKEBITES, STABBINGS AND BROKEN HEARTS will hep you to get his work in a fuller way. I can give it no better praise.
December 4, 2022
A really interesting read. Probably best for those who have read/seen most of Shakespeare's plays and aren't too squeamish!
June 16, 2020
Magnificent attention to detail! This book offers an amazing look at the science behind the deaths in Shakespeare’s plays.
But let’s start at the beginning. Before even going into Shakespeare’s literary treatment of death, this book explores the idea of death as it would have been understood in Shakespeare’s day. This was a time when public executions were common occurrences, and theatre-goers who would watch Romeo and Juliet die on the stage might just as easily have witnessed actual deaths on a scaffold. Death was present, and talked about, and seen all around. It wasn’t something that was only ever euphemistically referred to in hushed tones—it was part of the fabric of society, and a deeply personal part of everyone’s life. Shakespeare’s very profession had been shaped by death. He was a playwright struggling to support himself and his family during at time when going to the theatre was often illegal. Due to the large numbers of people dying from the plague, all sorts of public gatherings, including theatres, were banned. This was the time when Shakespeare would turn to writing poetry to support himself and his family. Then the disease would die down, he’d return to London, and he’d continue to write plays until the next major outbreak. And disease didn’t just shape his profession: it also killed his only son when he was only 11 years old. Death was a very intimate part of Shakespeare’s life. No wonder it turned up so often in his plays.
In describing his plays, the scope and the depth of this book surprised me immensely. It covers all the deaths that Shakespeare used in all his plays, and it divides them into chapters based on type, such as poison, execution, war, bear attack, etc. (And yes, I’m serious about those bears.) Everything is grounded in context: the death-related excerpts of Shakespeare’s plays are given in context of the larger plot, and, in the case of the histories, Shakespeare’s details are compared with those of the historical record. Then, the death, as described by Shakespeare, is given a very thorough scientific analysis. How many of Shakespeare’s deaths are realistic? (Quite a lot, it seems.) How about when he’s vague: what are the different possible explanations? (Did I mention that this book has a lot of fascinating conjecture? So many possibilities!) Can Claudius really have poisoned his brother by pouring it in his EAR? Do poisons even work that way? (No spoilers here. You’ll have to read the book to find this one out!) Parts of this book are morbid and gruesome, but mostly it’s a highly readable and clear scientific analysis. It makes connections to modern cases and treats the deaths, as much as possible, with dignity and respect. All in all, a compelling look at the many ways to shuffle off this mortal coil.
But let’s start at the beginning. Before even going into Shakespeare’s literary treatment of death, this book explores the idea of death as it would have been understood in Shakespeare’s day. This was a time when public executions were common occurrences, and theatre-goers who would watch Romeo and Juliet die on the stage might just as easily have witnessed actual deaths on a scaffold. Death was present, and talked about, and seen all around. It wasn’t something that was only ever euphemistically referred to in hushed tones—it was part of the fabric of society, and a deeply personal part of everyone’s life. Shakespeare’s very profession had been shaped by death. He was a playwright struggling to support himself and his family during at time when going to the theatre was often illegal. Due to the large numbers of people dying from the plague, all sorts of public gatherings, including theatres, were banned. This was the time when Shakespeare would turn to writing poetry to support himself and his family. Then the disease would die down, he’d return to London, and he’d continue to write plays until the next major outbreak. And disease didn’t just shape his profession: it also killed his only son when he was only 11 years old. Death was a very intimate part of Shakespeare’s life. No wonder it turned up so often in his plays.
In describing his plays, the scope and the depth of this book surprised me immensely. It covers all the deaths that Shakespeare used in all his plays, and it divides them into chapters based on type, such as poison, execution, war, bear attack, etc. (And yes, I’m serious about those bears.) Everything is grounded in context: the death-related excerpts of Shakespeare’s plays are given in context of the larger plot, and, in the case of the histories, Shakespeare’s details are compared with those of the historical record. Then, the death, as described by Shakespeare, is given a very thorough scientific analysis. How many of Shakespeare’s deaths are realistic? (Quite a lot, it seems.) How about when he’s vague: what are the different possible explanations? (Did I mention that this book has a lot of fascinating conjecture? So many possibilities!) Can Claudius really have poisoned his brother by pouring it in his EAR? Do poisons even work that way? (No spoilers here. You’ll have to read the book to find this one out!) Parts of this book are morbid and gruesome, but mostly it’s a highly readable and clear scientific analysis. It makes connections to modern cases and treats the deaths, as much as possible, with dignity and respect. All in all, a compelling look at the many ways to shuffle off this mortal coil.
May 2, 2020
Death By Shakespeare: Snakebites, Stabbings and Broken Hearts is a fun romp through the multitude of methods Shakespeare utilised to kill off his characters, and although it's been quite some time since I've read one of his classic plays I thought this sounded original and intriguing. It turned out to be right up my street as both a true crime and fictional crime enthusiast. Scientist (chemist) Kathryn Harkup pens a fascinating and outstanding study in which she analyses the gory details of death. If you're easily disturbed or faint of heart you may wish to take a pass on this as Harkup's descriptions are extremely in-depth and she doesn't have any qualms about this at all, which made it even more captivating to me. A macabre masterpiece that not only looks at the various methods of killing The Bard employed but also the rather hazardous living conditions the Elizabethans/Jacobeans were accustomed to, including recurrent plagues, executions, weather conditions, syphilis, rudimentary health care, death in childbirth, tuberculosis and infected wounds.
Covering each manner of death a from scientific perspective Harkup addresses such varied methods as hanging, poisoning, burning at the stake, beheading, drowning, suicide, smothering and sword fights, to name a few. It's very much like a forensic investigation or episode of CSI and I feel it will appeal to a great many readers. Written in an engaging and refreshingly accessible fashion, I flew through the pages and then wished I had savoured it more. It is immensely compelling from the first page, as well as thorough and extensively researched; her riveting storytelling and dark, sardonic wit make for a superb read. All in all, this is an enjoyable and thoroughly entertaining book filled with intrigue and information. In my eyes, you simply can't ask for more than a book that both teaches you new information whilst amusing you in the process. It will not only appeal to lovers of William Shakespeare but to those who have an interest in the physiology of death. Highly recommended. Many thanks to Bloomsbury Sigma for an ARC.
Covering each manner of death a from scientific perspective Harkup addresses such varied methods as hanging, poisoning, burning at the stake, beheading, drowning, suicide, smothering and sword fights, to name a few. It's very much like a forensic investigation or episode of CSI and I feel it will appeal to a great many readers. Written in an engaging and refreshingly accessible fashion, I flew through the pages and then wished I had savoured it more. It is immensely compelling from the first page, as well as thorough and extensively researched; her riveting storytelling and dark, sardonic wit make for a superb read. All in all, this is an enjoyable and thoroughly entertaining book filled with intrigue and information. In my eyes, you simply can't ask for more than a book that both teaches you new information whilst amusing you in the process. It will not only appeal to lovers of William Shakespeare but to those who have an interest in the physiology of death. Highly recommended. Many thanks to Bloomsbury Sigma for an ARC.
October 23, 2020
'Death By Shakespeare' written by Kathryn Harkup is a historical non-fiction which focuses on the science behind the creative and innovative methods Shakespeare had used in his plays to kill his characters.
In this book we see various plays ranging from Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth to Cleopatra and the author has very informatively analysed each and every death. Did Cleopatra's snakebite seem as easy as it was portrayed? We see how each and every death would actually play out in real world.
I liked how the book starts with explaination the idea of death in the Shakespeare's time. The era was all about plague, public executions and the audiance at that time actually witnessed the same in reality. Shakespeare actually had 74 different ways of making his characters die all across his plays.
We see author backing up each and every way of death with scientific knowledge and learnings. It can be clearly seen that author has done a hell amount of study and research behind this. I liked how we get an appendix at the end to show us all his plays and death's in a concise manner.
The book is going to amuse you and also provide you with new information on Shakespeare's plays as well as on London at that point of time. We see how women were treated, birth of children, living, etc. We also get to see little bit of life background of William Shakespeare himself in the start.
Now, do we really need to read all of the Shakespeare's plays and works in order to read this book? Not necessarily. I've read only few of his work and this book was completely fine for me. But yes you do need to have a little bit of common knowledge on Shakespeare's themes.
In this book we see various plays ranging from Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth to Cleopatra and the author has very informatively analysed each and every death. Did Cleopatra's snakebite seem as easy as it was portrayed? We see how each and every death would actually play out in real world.
I liked how the book starts with explaination the idea of death in the Shakespeare's time. The era was all about plague, public executions and the audiance at that time actually witnessed the same in reality. Shakespeare actually had 74 different ways of making his characters die all across his plays.
We see author backing up each and every way of death with scientific knowledge and learnings. It can be clearly seen that author has done a hell amount of study and research behind this. I liked how we get an appendix at the end to show us all his plays and death's in a concise manner.
The book is going to amuse you and also provide you with new information on Shakespeare's plays as well as on London at that point of time. We see how women were treated, birth of children, living, etc. We also get to see little bit of life background of William Shakespeare himself in the start.
Now, do we really need to read all of the Shakespeare's plays and works in order to read this book? Not necessarily. I've read only few of his work and this book was completely fine for me. But yes you do need to have a little bit of common knowledge on Shakespeare's themes.
January 6, 2022
Shakespeare era sicuramente un grande fautore (pur senza saperlo) del "kill your darlings". Dalle scene gore alle dipartite più drammatiche e teatrali, nelle sue opere troviamo morti di ogni tipo.
C'è qualcosa per tutti i gusti...e per tutti gli stomaci.
In questo saggio Kathryn Harkup analizza, da un punto di vista storico e scientifico, tutte le modalità in cui i personaggi shakespeariani passano a miglior vita.
Quale veleno avrà ucciso il povero Amleto il vecchio? Quali atroci sofferenze avrà passato Antonio dopo essersi buttato sulla sua stessa spada? È plausibile tutta la celebre storia di Cleopatra e del suo aspide? Come mai il Bardo pare essere così ferrato riguardo alla medicina e non solo?
Una lettura piena di tematiche e spunti intriganti e un saggio scorrevolissimo che propone una prospettiva diversa dal solito sulle opere di Shakespeare.
Piacevolissimo da leggere e un must per ogni amante dell'immortale poeta.
C'è qualcosa per tutti i gusti...e per tutti gli stomaci.
In questo saggio Kathryn Harkup analizza, da un punto di vista storico e scientifico, tutte le modalità in cui i personaggi shakespeariani passano a miglior vita.
Quale veleno avrà ucciso il povero Amleto il vecchio? Quali atroci sofferenze avrà passato Antonio dopo essersi buttato sulla sua stessa spada? È plausibile tutta la celebre storia di Cleopatra e del suo aspide? Come mai il Bardo pare essere così ferrato riguardo alla medicina e non solo?
Una lettura piena di tematiche e spunti intriganti e un saggio scorrevolissimo che propone una prospettiva diversa dal solito sulle opere di Shakespeare.
Piacevolissimo da leggere e un must per ogni amante dell'immortale poeta.
August 9, 2025
William Shakespeare is a cultural phenomenon. He has been credited with creating a vast amount of new words. His plays are performed regularly as well as countless movies created about them.
To write a book about just one aspect of his plays is a feat but Kathryn Harkup has achieved this task. She has documented the deaths in Shakespeare and explained if they could have happened as written.
I especially liked the titles of her chapters. She goes over every death from murders, poisons, suicides, plagues, and more.
What is best about her book is how entertaining it is to read from start to finish. You definitely don't have to be a scientist to understand her terms or a Shakespearean authority to read this wonderful book.
To write a book about just one aspect of his plays is a feat but Kathryn Harkup has achieved this task. She has documented the deaths in Shakespeare and explained if they could have happened as written.
I especially liked the titles of her chapters. She goes over every death from murders, poisons, suicides, plagues, and more.
What is best about her book is how entertaining it is to read from start to finish. You definitely don't have to be a scientist to understand her terms or a Shakespearean authority to read this wonderful book.
December 4, 2024
I don’t recommend this book to people who aren’t familiar with Shakespeare’s works, but then again why would you even read this if that is the case. That said, you can still absolutely read this, but it’ll lose your interest fast.
I really liked how Harkup spent a lot of time on setting the historical backdrop. I’ve learnt things from reading this book, and even though they are bloody and gory, I’m glad for it.
Also… the 16th Century was fucking wild what the fuck
I really liked how Harkup spent a lot of time on setting the historical backdrop. I’ve learnt things from reading this book, and even though they are bloody and gory, I’m glad for it.
Also… the 16th Century was fucking wild what the fuck
April 11, 2020
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Death by Shakespeare: Snakebites, Stabbings, and Broken Hearts by Kathryn Harkup is a fascinating look at the history and and the science behind the deaths in Shakespeare's classic plays. She also provides an excellent look at the his world and that of the theater of the period. Each chapter in this book covers a type of death that appears in Shakespeare's work and tries to answer the how behind them as well as how it translates in the real world. If you're at all interested in Shakespeare, the history of theater, and even forensics, I have a feeling you'll be interested in this book.
Death by Shakespeare: Snakebites, Stabbings, and Broken Hearts by Kathryn Harkup is a fascinating look at the history and and the science behind the deaths in Shakespeare's classic plays. She also provides an excellent look at the his world and that of the theater of the period. Each chapter in this book covers a type of death that appears in Shakespeare's work and tries to answer the how behind them as well as how it translates in the real world. If you're at all interested in Shakespeare, the history of theater, and even forensics, I have a feeling you'll be interested in this book.
January 21, 2022
Is this book ghoulish and disturbing? Why yes, yes it is. But it's also kind of fascinating and has a table of all of the character deaths across all of the plays, so it's worth a few can't-be-unseen moments.
December 18, 2020
You read Shakespeare's plays, novels and other works or you had read them in schools or colleges.. right ?? and then you are well aware how he is lyrical in killing off his characters by poisoning, stabbing, through suicide and what not !!
And this book Death by Shakespeare acts as reference guide to why Shakespeare killed his characters like he did..
As I said in my earlier post that it's not a fictional, but a well researched work by Kathryn.
Was death by snakebite as serene as Shakespeare makes out? Could lack of sleep have killed Lady Macbeth? Can you really murder someone by pouring poison in their ear? Kathrynharkup investigates what actual events may have inspired Shakespeare, what the accepted scientific knowledge of the time was, and how audiences of that era would have responded to these death scenes. Death by Shakespeare will tell you all this and more in an adventurous way...
Though sometimes I feel it's going long unnecessarily.. for few moments I got bored with the book, but it's okay.. it's okay to feel boring when you read a nonfiction but it becomes worthy when at the end you feel "yes this one is well researched and well written piece of nonfiction work."
I had an amazing experience with Death by Shakespeare by Kathryn Harkup.
#DeathbyShakespeare
#Kathrynharkup
#nonfiction
And this book Death by Shakespeare acts as reference guide to why Shakespeare killed his characters like he did..
As I said in my earlier post that it's not a fictional, but a well researched work by Kathryn.
Was death by snakebite as serene as Shakespeare makes out? Could lack of sleep have killed Lady Macbeth? Can you really murder someone by pouring poison in their ear? Kathrynharkup investigates what actual events may have inspired Shakespeare, what the accepted scientific knowledge of the time was, and how audiences of that era would have responded to these death scenes. Death by Shakespeare will tell you all this and more in an adventurous way...
Though sometimes I feel it's going long unnecessarily.. for few moments I got bored with the book, but it's okay.. it's okay to feel boring when you read a nonfiction but it becomes worthy when at the end you feel "yes this one is well researched and well written piece of nonfiction work."
I had an amazing experience with Death by Shakespeare by Kathryn Harkup.
#DeathbyShakespeare
#Kathrynharkup
#nonfiction
April 20, 2020
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of
Death By Shakespeare.
When I saw the hook had to do with death and dismemberment in Shakespeare, I quickly sent in a request.
I love all things dark, deadly and morbid.
This was a fascinating and insightful look at the works of Shakespeare, but in a way I've never thought of.
There were so many things I didn't know about Shakespeare; I did know his inspiration for MacBeth and Romeo and Juliet came from previous works, but I didn't know that was the case for many of his plays and poets.
Shakespeare derived much of his original work from previous compositions but made his retellings uniquely his own using creative license and talent.
Shakespeare drew from real life, the hardships and toil of living in Elizabethan London; it was dirty, filthy and poor for the majority of the population, and death and sickness was just part and parcel of survival during these difficult times
It's not surprising that most of his characters meet untimely and unfortunate ends, for the most part, derived from true to life situations and circumstances that befell a commoner, elite or royalty.
Shakespeare drew from life, like most authors, and applied it to his work, also pulling inspiration from medical journals and personal experience.
The author has done extensive research and it shows; the book is divided into sections, such as poisons and drownings.
There are snippets of Shakespeare's work to draw reference from as she delves into the what and hows of how a person can or would not survive such a particular tragic demise.
Ms. Harkup notes how sensitively Shakespeare wrote about certain topics, such as suicide, an enlightened perspective considering how many centuries ago this was.
His insightful portrayal of people suffering from sleeping disorders is also notable to mention, such as how guilt can interfere with a person's mental health.
Shakespeare was not just talented, but unique in that he portrayed humanity in all walks of life, demonstrating not just their good and bad sides, but their humaneness.
If you're interested in Shakespeare, but don't want to read any of his stuff, read Death By Shakespeare.
It's fascinating, amusing and will leave you thinking long after you're done.
When I saw the hook had to do with death and dismemberment in Shakespeare, I quickly sent in a request.
I love all things dark, deadly and morbid.
This was a fascinating and insightful look at the works of Shakespeare, but in a way I've never thought of.
There were so many things I didn't know about Shakespeare; I did know his inspiration for MacBeth and Romeo and Juliet came from previous works, but I didn't know that was the case for many of his plays and poets.
Shakespeare derived much of his original work from previous compositions but made his retellings uniquely his own using creative license and talent.
Shakespeare drew from real life, the hardships and toil of living in Elizabethan London; it was dirty, filthy and poor for the majority of the population, and death and sickness was just part and parcel of survival during these difficult times
It's not surprising that most of his characters meet untimely and unfortunate ends, for the most part, derived from true to life situations and circumstances that befell a commoner, elite or royalty.
Shakespeare drew from life, like most authors, and applied it to his work, also pulling inspiration from medical journals and personal experience.
The author has done extensive research and it shows; the book is divided into sections, such as poisons and drownings.
There are snippets of Shakespeare's work to draw reference from as she delves into the what and hows of how a person can or would not survive such a particular tragic demise.
Ms. Harkup notes how sensitively Shakespeare wrote about certain topics, such as suicide, an enlightened perspective considering how many centuries ago this was.
His insightful portrayal of people suffering from sleeping disorders is also notable to mention, such as how guilt can interfere with a person's mental health.
Shakespeare was not just talented, but unique in that he portrayed humanity in all walks of life, demonstrating not just their good and bad sides, but their humaneness.
If you're interested in Shakespeare, but don't want to read any of his stuff, read Death By Shakespeare.
It's fascinating, amusing and will leave you thinking long after you're done.
July 22, 2020
Death by Shakespeare is a comprehensive look at how characters die in Shakespeare. Each chapter of this book covered a different method of death which I found very interesting. It was so detailed and no one was overlooked. This is the second book I have read by Kathryn Harkup and I have found her to be very concise and well-informed. I appreciate how each manner of death is looked at in real life as well as in Shakespeare’s work. An unexpected pleasure was discovering how Shakespeare lived in the 1600s And what life would’ve looked like for those around him. I have never learned about Shakespeare in this way before and I am glad for the experience. I did receive a copy from Netgalley but I listened to the audio and found it a great way to immerse myself.
October 20, 2022
This was quite "science-y" which I am not, so I did find it dry in some places. Some of the chapters were more fascinating than others - each chapter focused on a different method of death found in Shakespeare's works. The author described how true to life they would have been, how things were viewed both in Shakespeare's day and historically, in cases of the Historical plays. 3.5 stars for me.
August 30, 2020
Rating of 4.95. Excellent discussion of Death in the Context of Shakespeare's plays and what his fellow citizens experienced living in Tudor London. The only thing missing, for me at least, was photos of staged plays to accompany discussion of the various types of death.
April 22, 2021
This is an entertaining and detailed book which explores every death (as well as some injuries) in the plays by Shakespeare. It is a fun and analytical read, providing some very interesting medical explanations. It is pacy, pithy and poignant.
July 31, 2021
This was morbid, disturbing, and just what I was hoping for! I'm not familiar with nearly enough Shakespeare and this book made me want to read more of his plays, especially the tragedies. Those Elizabethans were seriously messed up. 😂
January 30, 2022
This is a fun and thorough romp through the world of Shakespearian deaths. The real world science is explored in minute detail. Perfect for the literary ghouls among us, myself included!
This unbiased review is based on a complimentary copy provided by the publisher.
This unbiased review is based on a complimentary copy provided by the publisher.
Read
October 25, 2020There’s a cartoon going around showing the short versions of Shakespeare’s most famous plays. In the cartoon version, they all end alike: Everyone dies. That’s an exaggeration, but there is plenty of death in Shakespeare’s plays, as, author Kathryn Harkup says, there was in Shakespeare’s life. The late 1500s and early 1600s were a time of primitive medical care. Accidents, fights, childbirth, and epidemics took people out on a regular basis. The average life expectancy was 38 years.
Harkup’s goal is to tell us all the ways that people die in Shakespeare’s plays. She places those deaths in the context of their times. Was such a death common? And she tells us what today’s medical science can tell us about the pathophysiology of such a death. Did Shakespeare get it right, or wrong? Did he exaggerate for the sake of theater?
At the back of the book is an appendix with a chart listing every character who dies, and what they died of, and notes, such as whether the death occurred off stage. That was fun to flip through.
But before we get to the deaths, there is a background biography of Shakespeare, and of life in London, and of the theater in general. Waves of plague shut the theater down for several years, as people were afraid that public gatherings would spread contagion. That was interesting to read in 2020, when everything was shut down because of Covid. During this time, Shakespeare turned to writing poetry in order to make a living. That was also interesting, because in my own day I have tried my hand at writing poetry, and earned maybe 50 bucks. It was also notable that, for as much as the plague upended everyone’s life, including his own, Shakespeare rarely mentions it in his plays. That’s interesting because the same thing happened with the 1918 flu. Millions died, but the literature of the day hardly mentions it.
How was death depicted in the theater? How did they deal with showing blood, while also keeping the expensive costumes clean, and with no time between scenes for cleanup? How was death experienced in real life? How was illness treated? How was death ascertained? It was interesting that until the plague years, the government didn’t even keep records of deaths.
The book goes through the plays, examining deaths by legal execution, deaths in battle, deaths by infectious disease (leprosy, malaria, dysentery, syphilis), deaths by poison, suicide, death by excess of grief (is that possible?), and death by miscellaneous causes, such as by bear, or by “fire coming down from heaven.”
I think we are all fascinated by death, which must come to us all, and I found it an interesting read. I think the background sections are the most interesting, with the general historical context. The book as a whole is full of interesting anecdotes and fun facts.
For example, on the subject of a human who was still alive being mistaken for dead, the author says that in 1645, a child was sewed into a shroud, but they accidentally sewed a cat in, too. The cat meowed, and when they opened the shroud to get the cat out, they found the child alive.
And, in London, it was customary to display the severed heads of criminals on pikes, as a presumed deterrent to crime. There were so many heads (in 1592 someone counted 34 heads on display) that “Keeper of the Heads” was an actual job. Someone was in charge of doing whatever they had to do to the heads. Some of them were thrown into the river when their time was up.
And this: “In 1982 the pianist Andre Tchaikowsky died and bequeathed his skull to the Royal Shakespeare Company for use in Hamlet’s graveyard scene. Though it was often used in rehearsals, actors were unnerved by the skull and it wasn’t used in a live performance until 2008.” Well, that’s one way to get on the stage.
Harkup’s goal is to tell us all the ways that people die in Shakespeare’s plays. She places those deaths in the context of their times. Was such a death common? And she tells us what today’s medical science can tell us about the pathophysiology of such a death. Did Shakespeare get it right, or wrong? Did he exaggerate for the sake of theater?
At the back of the book is an appendix with a chart listing every character who dies, and what they died of, and notes, such as whether the death occurred off stage. That was fun to flip through.
But before we get to the deaths, there is a background biography of Shakespeare, and of life in London, and of the theater in general. Waves of plague shut the theater down for several years, as people were afraid that public gatherings would spread contagion. That was interesting to read in 2020, when everything was shut down because of Covid. During this time, Shakespeare turned to writing poetry in order to make a living. That was also interesting, because in my own day I have tried my hand at writing poetry, and earned maybe 50 bucks. It was also notable that, for as much as the plague upended everyone’s life, including his own, Shakespeare rarely mentions it in his plays. That’s interesting because the same thing happened with the 1918 flu. Millions died, but the literature of the day hardly mentions it.
How was death depicted in the theater? How did they deal with showing blood, while also keeping the expensive costumes clean, and with no time between scenes for cleanup? How was death experienced in real life? How was illness treated? How was death ascertained? It was interesting that until the plague years, the government didn’t even keep records of deaths.
The book goes through the plays, examining deaths by legal execution, deaths in battle, deaths by infectious disease (leprosy, malaria, dysentery, syphilis), deaths by poison, suicide, death by excess of grief (is that possible?), and death by miscellaneous causes, such as by bear, or by “fire coming down from heaven.”
I think we are all fascinated by death, which must come to us all, and I found it an interesting read. I think the background sections are the most interesting, with the general historical context. The book as a whole is full of interesting anecdotes and fun facts.
For example, on the subject of a human who was still alive being mistaken for dead, the author says that in 1645, a child was sewed into a shroud, but they accidentally sewed a cat in, too. The cat meowed, and when they opened the shroud to get the cat out, they found the child alive.
And, in London, it was customary to display the severed heads of criminals on pikes, as a presumed deterrent to crime. There were so many heads (in 1592 someone counted 34 heads on display) that “Keeper of the Heads” was an actual job. Someone was in charge of doing whatever they had to do to the heads. Some of them were thrown into the river when their time was up.
And this: “In 1982 the pianist Andre Tchaikowsky died and bequeathed his skull to the Royal Shakespeare Company for use in Hamlet’s graveyard scene. Though it was often used in rehearsals, actors were unnerved by the skull and it wasn’t used in a live performance until 2008.” Well, that’s one way to get on the stage.
May 20, 2020
I love reading books that provide some kind of external context about other books or works -- whether it's historical context, criticism, and, in the case of Kathryn Harkup's Death by Shakespeare, scientific context. Death by Shakespeare explores the many deaths in Shakespeare's plays and provides insightful looks into how contemporaries handled disease and death, and Harkup explores these topics with clarity, empathy, and humor. Shakespeare's body of work can be daunting and difficult for modern readers, but Harkup presents her research in an engaging way that is entertaining and in reach.
I loved the intersections of contemporary and modern medicine, as well as the examinations of how the deaths in the plays were (or weren't) performed on stage. Death today seems so far removed from our society, yet in Shakespeare's day, death was actively part of every day life. This was also something weird to read at this present time with the coronavirus pandemic because I'm confronted by death daily and still so far removed from it because no one I know has contracted it, but Shakespeare and his contemporaries confronted death in all its causes in such close proximity that it was difficult to ignore, even in his own work. The thing I loved most about Death by Shakespeare is the connection of the historical and everyday life with the science because it made everything feel so much more real. Like death, history seems something so far removed from us that we sometimes forget that history is populated by people living lives with emotional scope and depth as people live today, so in a way, putting Shakespeare's plays into context like, along with any contextual criticism, this brings the humanity of these plays to the surface.
This is something that would be beneficial to anyone reading and studying Shakespeare as it provides an engaging and accessible look into the reasons why Shakespeare likely used certain kinds of poisons, murders, and avenues of death in his work. Personally, I know having this historical/literary/scientific context when I was taking my Shakespeare course in undergrad would have added so much to my enjoyment and understanding of the plays, but I'm glad to have read it now!
Many thanks to Bloomsbury Publishing for sending me an early copy to review! All opinions are my own.
I loved the intersections of contemporary and modern medicine, as well as the examinations of how the deaths in the plays were (or weren't) performed on stage. Death today seems so far removed from our society, yet in Shakespeare's day, death was actively part of every day life. This was also something weird to read at this present time with the coronavirus pandemic because I'm confronted by death daily and still so far removed from it because no one I know has contracted it, but Shakespeare and his contemporaries confronted death in all its causes in such close proximity that it was difficult to ignore, even in his own work. The thing I loved most about Death by Shakespeare is the connection of the historical and everyday life with the science because it made everything feel so much more real. Like death, history seems something so far removed from us that we sometimes forget that history is populated by people living lives with emotional scope and depth as people live today, so in a way, putting Shakespeare's plays into context like, along with any contextual criticism, this brings the humanity of these plays to the surface.
This is something that would be beneficial to anyone reading and studying Shakespeare as it provides an engaging and accessible look into the reasons why Shakespeare likely used certain kinds of poisons, murders, and avenues of death in his work. Personally, I know having this historical/literary/scientific context when I was taking my Shakespeare course in undergrad would have added so much to my enjoyment and understanding of the plays, but I'm glad to have read it now!
Many thanks to Bloomsbury Publishing for sending me an early copy to review! All opinions are my own.
May 13, 2020
Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
~
As a long-term lover of Shakespeare and his characters, this book was right up my street. Kathryn Harkup takes her readers on a fantastic journey through Elizabethan and Jacobean London, intertwining science, social history and literature.
She starts by laying out Shakespeare’s life and his consequent rise to fame, giving us an insight into the living conditions he lived in and setting the stage for his later plays (pun intended..!). This book, whilst incredibly academic and insightful, isn’t written pretentiously and is engaging and easy to follow, splitting it into different methods of death within the plays. There is a lot of information presented, but it is explained clearly despite relying on a lot of medical history and theory. I loved how each death in Shakespeare had an explanation with it.
Harkup uses social history to explain how audiences would have reacted to certain deaths and lines, helping to give even more significance to scenes that a modern audience may overlook. She discusses how plays would have been staged, from the use of blood, falling from heights, body parts, and how to portray large battles. I found this fascinating as it adds an extra layer to each play as you read it. Shakespeare used real life events within his plays, and Harkup helps to dispel any misinformation and manipulation of history he used to create a more dramatic play.
The only negative I have about this play is that some information is repeated in different sections which made it feel like I was re-reading sections. It is always relevant, but it felt tedious during those parts, maybe a small reference would have worked better?
Overall, I thought this book was a fascinating insight into Shakespeare’s plays, his life, and the methods of death that were used within his plays. I was surprised at how accurate a lot of them were and the detail that Harkup went into to dispell the false science Shakespeare sometimes used. I rated this book 4 stars and will be reading more Shakespeare plays soon so I can appreciate the contexts of each.
~
As a long-term lover of Shakespeare and his characters, this book was right up my street. Kathryn Harkup takes her readers on a fantastic journey through Elizabethan and Jacobean London, intertwining science, social history and literature.
She starts by laying out Shakespeare’s life and his consequent rise to fame, giving us an insight into the living conditions he lived in and setting the stage for his later plays (pun intended..!). This book, whilst incredibly academic and insightful, isn’t written pretentiously and is engaging and easy to follow, splitting it into different methods of death within the plays. There is a lot of information presented, but it is explained clearly despite relying on a lot of medical history and theory. I loved how each death in Shakespeare had an explanation with it.
Harkup uses social history to explain how audiences would have reacted to certain deaths and lines, helping to give even more significance to scenes that a modern audience may overlook. She discusses how plays would have been staged, from the use of blood, falling from heights, body parts, and how to portray large battles. I found this fascinating as it adds an extra layer to each play as you read it. Shakespeare used real life events within his plays, and Harkup helps to dispel any misinformation and manipulation of history he used to create a more dramatic play.
The only negative I have about this play is that some information is repeated in different sections which made it feel like I was re-reading sections. It is always relevant, but it felt tedious during those parts, maybe a small reference would have worked better?
Overall, I thought this book was a fascinating insight into Shakespeare’s plays, his life, and the methods of death that were used within his plays. I was surprised at how accurate a lot of them were and the detail that Harkup went into to dispell the false science Shakespeare sometimes used. I rated this book 4 stars and will be reading more Shakespeare plays soon so I can appreciate the contexts of each.
November 11, 2022
I realized after reading this that it was by the same author as A is for Arsenic, who apparently loves digging into the gruesome details of writers. I read this for a year-long Shakespeare readalong and I was very much looking forward to it.
I enjoyed the book, but it took me a while to get into it, because I had to figure out what each chapter was about as I was reading it. It seems like it was a puzzle. And I thought it would be more straight forward. I do wish the author would have simply said, In this chapter we will look at x and x ways of dying in Shakespeare's plays and time, etc. I mean, okay, maybe not that bald, but give me more of a clue. The keyword type chapter headings helped a little, but added to the puzzle effect.
That said, I did enjoy the chapters! I found chapter 2 pretty gory, and some details pretty gross but yet interesting (women peeing standing up in public? What??). I liked that I could remember some of the scenes discussed, from all the plays I've been reading in the last few years. I found her discussion in this book less technical than in the Arsenic book (which makes sense), though I did learn an awful lot about how the heart works!
All in all, this is an enjoyable read for anyone who loves history and Shakespeare, or just likes to explore kind of off-color topics. It was easy to read, even with some funny bits (especially in the footnotes), and it was engaging. I wasn't as turned off by the battle chapter as some others in my chat group. There is even a handy chart in the back listing how everyone in Shakespeare dies.
I expected this to be much more just about the plays, but I was pleasantly surprised to discover it was just as much about the time he lived in, and that gave it a nice rounded feel.
I enjoyed the book, but it took me a while to get into it, because I had to figure out what each chapter was about as I was reading it. It seems like it was a puzzle. And I thought it would be more straight forward. I do wish the author would have simply said, In this chapter we will look at x and x ways of dying in Shakespeare's plays and time, etc. I mean, okay, maybe not that bald, but give me more of a clue. The keyword type chapter headings helped a little, but added to the puzzle effect.
That said, I did enjoy the chapters! I found chapter 2 pretty gory, and some details pretty gross but yet interesting (women peeing standing up in public? What??). I liked that I could remember some of the scenes discussed, from all the plays I've been reading in the last few years. I found her discussion in this book less technical than in the Arsenic book (which makes sense), though I did learn an awful lot about how the heart works!
All in all, this is an enjoyable read for anyone who loves history and Shakespeare, or just likes to explore kind of off-color topics. It was easy to read, even with some funny bits (especially in the footnotes), and it was engaging. I wasn't as turned off by the battle chapter as some others in my chat group. There is even a handy chart in the back listing how everyone in Shakespeare dies.
I expected this to be much more just about the plays, but I was pleasantly surprised to discover it was just as much about the time he lived in, and that gave it a nice rounded feel.
March 8, 2025
This is a fascinating read that looks at all the different, inventive, yet surprisingly realistic ways that Shakespeare does away with the various characters he created, all told through a scientific lens rather than a literary one which in itself gives a different perspective on things. Each chapter covers a different approach to death in Shakespeare's plays ranging from illness and disease, war and execution and of course murder, poison, suicide, and grief (it is real thing). To wrap these all up Harkup provides a chapter on all those more unusual means of departing this world, aptly entitled 'Exit Pursued by a Bear'. Each chapter summaries how they are portrayed in the plays and then provides a historical and scientific setting for them, including how realistic or otherwise such things were/are and where Shakespeare may have picked up the knowledge and information needed to write the scenes in the first place. A very readable and entertaining book.
September 10, 2020
If you've ever read a play by Shakespeare, you know that many characters meet untimely ends. Kathryn Harkup has done a fantastic job entwining literature and history with analyzing the science and realisticness of the deaths in Shakespeare's works.
While some parts are quite morbid, Harkup has presented an engaging, well thought out and researched account of the death's in these plays and the history surrounding them.
I recommend this one for any Shakespeare fan, or anyone studying his works or historical literature :)
Thank you so much Bloomsbury Australia for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review :)
While some parts are quite morbid, Harkup has presented an engaging, well thought out and researched account of the death's in these plays and the history surrounding them.
I recommend this one for any Shakespeare fan, or anyone studying his works or historical literature :)
Thank you so much Bloomsbury Australia for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review :)
November 2, 2020
Fascinating and very readable investigation into the deaths in Shakespeare's works: How likely were they? How close to reality were Shakespeare's descriptions? What are the medical realities and processes of each death? Where did Shakespeare get his ideas for deaths, illnesses, and attacks?
It seems this book would fit a rare confluence of interests: Shakespeare and science/medicine/death plus Elizabethan society. I have friends who would love the medical discussions and friends who would love the Shakespeare parts....As for me, I loved both.
It seems this book would fit a rare confluence of interests: Shakespeare and science/medicine/death plus Elizabethan society. I have friends who would love the medical discussions and friends who would love the Shakespeare parts....As for me, I loved both.
October 20, 2022
In spite of being a little creeped out at times, I loved this book! The author has a background in chemistry and she explores the various types of death portrayed in Shakespeare’s plays through that lens. I found this book to be a fascinating look at death as Harkup covers each method of killing that Shakespeare utilizes in his plays. She also explores the various hazardous living conditions, which often led to death, faced by the population of that time period.
Reading this book felt like I was reading a forensic investigation, or watching an episode of a tv crime series. I think both true crime and fictional crime enthusiasts, as well as Shakespeare aficionados, would enjoy this book. But be aware that it can get very macabre-feeling at times, as the author doesn’t hold back in her descriptions of death in all its gory details!
Reading this book felt like I was reading a forensic investigation, or watching an episode of a tv crime series. I think both true crime and fictional crime enthusiasts, as well as Shakespeare aficionados, would enjoy this book. But be aware that it can get very macabre-feeling at times, as the author doesn’t hold back in her descriptions of death in all its gory details!
May 5, 2020
Full review can be found here: https://www.criminalelement.com/book-...
August 11, 2020
This was extremely fun to read. I love the breakdown of each death scene and real information listed. It’s very hard to imagine what living in the Elizabethan times must have been like, surviving was luck and natural selection I’m sure. Shakespeare is a master writer and having read many of his plays, I found this book to be a must read for Shakespeare lovers.
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