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That Shakespeare Life — History
That Shakespeare Life

Hosted by Cassidy Cash, That Shakespeare Life takes you behind the curtain and into the real life of William Shakespeare.

Latest Episodes:

Nutmeg with Brigitte Webster Dec 12, 2022

Show notes

Shakespeare mentions the spice of nutmeg in his plays three times, once in Henry V to comment on the color of nutmeg, once in Love's Labour's Lost to talk about a "gift nutmeg" which was a gift given at Christmas for the 16th century, and then again in The Winter's Tale when the clown lists nutmeg as one of the spices he needs to make warden pies, along with mace, dates, prunes, and raisins. Nutmeg not being native to England, it was not only a valuable spice that made a great gift that was popular for major celebrations like Christmastime, but it was a huge part of international relations for England because during the 1600s was when the Dutch were committing all manner of atrocities against England (and indeed the world), to maintain a monopoly on this particular spice. Here today to share with us the history of nutmeg and some popular recipes that used it from Shakespeare's lifetime is our friend, culinary historian, and returning guest to the show, Brigitte Webster.

Eleanor of Aquitaine Dec 05, 2022

Show notes

In Shakespeare's play, King John, Eleanor of Aquitaine is portrayed as "Queen Elinor," who is decrepit and old, but strong willed and highly intelligent. For many Shakespeareans, the real history of this extraordinary woman is confined to this portrayal in Shakespeare's works. Our guest this week, Alison Weir, joins the show to introduce us to the real history of Eleanor of Aquitaine not only as we remember her today, but to share with us what Shakespeare would have known about her, as well as what it is important to know about her real life when encountering Shakespeare's portrayal of her in his play.

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Sport fishing in Shakespeare's England Nov 28, 2022

Show notes

William Shakespeare mentions fish over 70 times in his plays including certain kinds of fish like dwarfish, a finless fish, and even a dogfish. Types of fish, being a fishmonger, and applying all manner fish metaphors were a consistent theme in many of Shakespeare's works, which lead me to wonder about the role of fishing and fish in Shakespeare's lifetime for not only the individual who might have gone fishing for their food, but the role of commercial fishing in the economy of England during the 16-17th century. Here today to help us explore what kinds of fish were most popular, the representations of angling/fishing in print, and exactly how and where people would have caught fish for Shakespeare's lifetime, is our guest and author of The Poetics of Angling in Early Modern England, Myra Wright.

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Squanto with David and Aaron Bradford Nov 21, 2022

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One of the heroes of American history and the story of the survival of the English colonists at Plymouth in the mid 17th century is a man named Squanto. His given name was Tisquantum, but he came to be known as Squanto. He was a native American interpreter and guide for early English colonists. While little is known about his early life, some scholars believe that he was taken from home to England in 1605 by George Weymouth and returned to his native homeland with explorer John Smith in 1614–15. His almost decade long residence in London coincides with when Shakespeare was writing plays about shipwrecked colonists encountering native tribes on mysterious far away islands. Our friends, and previous guests to the show for Thanksgiving last year (see that episode here) are father and son history team, David and Aaron Bradford.

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Gresham College with Valerie Shrimplin Nov 14, 2022

Show notes

Thomas Gresham served as Royal Agent to the King t in England under Edward VI, Henry VIII, Mary, and Elizabeth I. A hugely influential man of his time, Thomas Gresham's legacy continues today at Gresham College, the university he founded in 1597 when William Shakespeare was 33 years old. Competing with the likes of Oxford and Cambridge at the time, Gresham College was unique not only because universities themselves were a new concept in England, but because Gresham College chose to teach students in English, whereas Latin was the accepted language of universities at the time. Here to share with us how Gresham College was founded, and what the first classes were like there, is our guest and professor at Gresham College, Valerie Shrimplin.

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Cesarean Section with Mary Fissell Nov 07, 2022

Show notes

Famously in Shakespeare's play, Macbeth, the title character becomes convinced he cannot be killed because the witches tell him he cannot be killed a man "of a woman born." It is only when it is too late that Macbeth learns his nemesis, Macduff, was "from his mother's womb untimely ripped", in reference to a cesarean surgery, that Macbeth learns of his ultimate fate. Shakespeare's inclusion of cesarean section in his play comes at a time when medical science and religious doctrine were questioning the viability of this procedure in a heated public debate. In 1581, French surgeon Francois Roussett published "The Hysterotomotokie or Caesarian Birth" which argued women should have cesarean as a viable option for birth during difficult deliveries. His publication caused quite a stir in medical society, with surgeons across Europe speaking out publicly to condemn the very suggestion. The heated conversation traveled all the way to England where a man contemporary to William Shakespeare, named Simon Forman, would write about cesarean sections in his publication "Matrix and the Pain Thereof." True to form, it seems William Shakespeare's play, Macbeth, was full of poignant and extremely timely cultural references to a huge political debate that was happening right when the play was written. Here today to help us understand the history of cesarean sections during Shakespeare's lifetime and exactly how controversial it might have been to include cesarean sections in his play, is our guest, professor of the history of medicine and author of "Women, Health, and Healing in Early Modern Europe", Mary Fissel.

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Pirates and Privateers with James Seth Oct 31, 2022

Show notes

From 1560 until her death in 1603, Queen Elizabeth employed a group of privateers to raid, pillage, and rob ships that were acting against English interests. This group of private sailors known as sea dogs included famous naval explorers like Sir Francis Drake who circumnavigated the world, and Sir Walter Raleigh who founded the colony of Roanoke and went looking for El Dorado, the city of gold. Reports of the sea dogs and other fantastic tales of naval adventures were cataloged in 16-17th century travel diaries along with the writings of professional travel writers, all of whom sent amazing stories of wild exploits back to England where playwrights like William Shakespeare were ready to include them on stage. Our guest this week, James Seth, is the author of Maritime Musicians and Performers on Early Modern English Voyages. James joins us today to share the history of Elizabeth's sea dogs, the musical entertainment that would have been available while traveling at sea, and exactly what real life maritime stories inspired characters from Shakespeare's plays.

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Pumpkins and The Great Pompion Oct 24, 2022

Show notes

In November of 1621, English colonists celebrated what's known today in the US as The First Thanksgiving. Indian natives and English colonists gathered around a celebration of their first successful harvest in a new land. The bounty that this feast enjoyed included one of the staple foods of Thanksgiving that's become almost ubiquitous with Fall itself, and that's the pumpkin. Referred to as "pumpion" in Shakespeare's Merry Wives of Windsor, and as "pompion" in Love's Labour's Lost, this little squash may not have been used as a jack-o-lantern for Shakespeare's lifetime but the pumpkin nonetheless has a role to play in the life of William Shakespeare. Our guest this week is an expert in the history of pumpkins and the author of Pumpkin: The Curious History of an American Icon. This week we welcome Cindy Ott to the show to share with us the 16-17th century history of the pumpkin.

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Coffee and Tea for Shakespeare's Lifetime Oct 17, 2022

Show notes

Coffee, tea, and chocolate may be regular items in the daily lives of the English today, but for Shakespeare these items were not on the everyday menu. In fact, drinking coffee or tea was seen with much superstition and hesitancy. While Shakespeare does mention "one poor penny worth of sugar-candy" in Henry V, he would not have been talking about chocolate. Confections like chocolate and drinking tea, along with coffee houses, would not become normal in England until after Shakespeare died in 1616. However, what we can see about these items in Shakespeare's lifetime is the process of caffeine arriving in England. It is during Shakespeare's lifetime that coffee, tea, and chocolate was this exotic sample of foreign lands being brough to Europe by various explorers and trading companies. Here today to share with us the history of coffee, tea, and chocolate and where they were at on their journey from obscurity to popular everyday kitchen staple is our guest, Elisa Tersigni.

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Waffles and Waffle Irons in 16th Century England Oct 13, 2022

Show notes

In William Shakespeare's Henry V Part II, Scene 3, Pistol uses the phrase "men's faiths are wafer-cakes." Wafer cakes were thin baked breads that would eventually become what we know today as waffles. During the Renaissance and Middle Ages, specialty iron tongs were used to bake wafers that were served as a final blessing after the Eucharist in churches. The art of making waffles was so popular in the Netherlands that when the Pilgrims, who had spent some time in Holland, set sail for North America in 1621, it is believed that some of the Dutch who went with them took these wafer cakes on board. While waffles may not have been a staple breakfast food for Shakespeare's lifetime, it turns out the bard not only had waffles but they came in a surprising variety of shapes and recipes. Here today to share with us the Shakespearean history of wafer cakes and waffles is our guest and expert food historian, Sam Bilton.

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