Sep 11, 2024

In today's episode, we are exploring how Shakespeare was influenced by The Book of the Courtier by Baldassare Castiglione as he was writing Much Ado About Nothing. We'll discuss how close reading of both Shakespeare's play and Castiglione's Renaissance etiquette book uncovers layers of intertextuality and references to...

Aug 14, 2024

In today's episode, we are investigating Shakespeare's comic constable in Much Ado About Nothing, Dogberry, and why this character is portrayed as a clown. We'll look at a survey of historical records from Shakespeare's time to determine if early modern constables were truly as ineffective as Dogberry appears to be and...

Jul 17, 2024

In our first deep dive episode into the world of Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing, we are examining early modern gender norms and how they influence the world of Messina and Leonato's household in Shakespeare's play.

Join us as we discuss the spectrum of womanhood represented by Hero and Beatrice and examine the...