Plutarch, The lives of the noble Grecians and Romaines, 1612 - ornamental headpiece above dedication, p. A3r, detail.
The translator's dedication to Shakespeare's queen.
Above the translator’s dedication the printer, Richard Field, placed a decorative woodcut with a central figure playing the lute, as the Queen ...
Plutarch, The lives of the noble Grecians and Romaines, 1612 - title page.
A favourite book of William Shakespeare, printed by a fellow Stratfordian.
North’s translation of Plutarch’s Lives was first printed by Thomas Vautrollier in 1579. The book's success led ...
Plutarch, The lives of the noble Grecians and Romaines, London, Richard Field, 1612 - dedication, p. A3r.
Shakespeare’s queen has books of history dedicated to her.
Sir Thomas North, a lawyer, whose father had been an MP and privy councillor to Henry VIII and to Mary Tudor, dedicated his translation ...
Portugese Quatercentenary Medal
A bronze medal struck to celebrate the four hundredth anniversary of Shakespeare's birth, struck in Portugal. Presented to the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust by Dr. Carlos Estornnho, Instituto Britanico, ...
Portugese Quatercentenary Medal
A bronze medal struck to celebrate the four hundredth anniversary of Shakespeare's birth, struck in Portugal. Presented to the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust by Dr. Carlos Estornnho, Instituto Britanico, ...
Publius Ovidius Naso [Ovid], The XV bookes Metamorphosis, translated... by Arthur Golding..., 1603, title-page.
A School text studied by Shakespeare.
William Shakespeare knew this series of stories about miraculous transformations, written by the Roman poet Ovid well as they formed an important part of regular ...
Railway Advertising Leaflet
This is a leaflet advertising the East and West Junction Railway trains running to the Stratford Mop and Ox Roasting on the 13th October 1890.
Ralph Hubaud binds himself to observe an agreement with William Shakespeare, 24 July 1605.
On 24 July 1605, Shakespeare purchased from Ralph Hubaud a lease of part of the Stratford tithes. As was usual in property transactions of the time, the parties signed another document binding themselves ...
Raphael Holinshed, The... Chronicles , London for George Bishop, 1577, - Elizabethan men at a meeting, woodcut, page 119, detail.
John Shakespeare, an alderman of Stratford.
When William Shakespeare's father, John, a glove-maker by trade, attended aldermen's meetings in Stratford-upon-Avon in the 1560s and 1570s, the council ...
Raphael Holinshed, The... Chronicles, 1577 - 'History of England', p.46.
Shakespeare's source for England's mythical history.
The woodcut illustrations of the first edition of Holinshed’s work depicting scenes of battle and warfare are in contemporary dress, with ...
Raphael Holinshed, The... Chronicles, 1577 - 'History of Scotland', title page.
Shakespeare’s ‘Scottish’ play is founded in history.
Holinshed’s first edition of The Chronicles, in 1577 included 'The Historie of Scotland' in which Shakespeare found the ...
Raphael Holinshed, The... Chronicles, 1577 - harvest woodcut, 'History of Scotland', p. 232.
A harvest scene, from a book known to Shakespeare.
Shakespeare’s parents both came from farming families so he knew well that everyone in country districts would help with cutting and sheaving ...
Raphael Holinshed, The... Chronicles, 1577 - Kings Cymbeline and Guiderius, 'History of England' p.47.
Shakespeare's source for Cymbeline.
Besides the story of Guiderius, which was based on myth and legend, Shakespeare found, in the 'Chronicles of Scotland', a tale of a nobleman and his two sons fighting ...
Raphael Holinshed, The... Chronicles, 1577 - Macbeth and Banquo, woodcut, 'History of Scotland', p.243, detail.
Shakespeare's source for Macbeth's meeting with the weird sisters.
This woodcut, from Holinshed's first edition of 'The Chronicles of Scotland' shows the meeting of Macbeth and Banquo with the three ...
Raphael Holinshed, The... Chronicles, 1577 - Macbeth and the weird sisters, 'History of Scotland', p.244, detail.
Shakespeare's source for the killing of King Duncan.
Macbeth kills Duncan, and has himself crowned at Scone, as Ross and Macduff discuss: ‘the sovereignty will fall upon Macbeth. He is already ...
Raphael Holinshed, The... Chronicles, 1577 - Macbeth, 'History of Scotland', p.244, detail.
Shakespeare's source for a prophecy: Macbeth becomes Thane of Cawdor
Here the Chronicles describe Macbeth being created Thane of Cawdor, and Duncan proclaiming Malcolm as his heir to the throne, two ...
Raphael Holinshed, The... Chronicles, 1577 - The thane of Cawdor is condemned, 'History of Scotland', p.244, detail.
The source for Shakespeare's Macbeth.
Shakespeare always amended and used his sources to suit the needs of drama. An example of this is Holinshed's tale that Banquo and others, as well as Lady Macbeth, ...
Raphael Holinshed, The... Chronicles, 1577 - Volume 1 title page
Shakespeare’s major sourcebook for the history plays.
Raphael (or Ralph) Holinshed began his career in London as a translator and worked on a history of the world of which the sections on England ...