Shakespeare Anyone?

Kourtney Smith & Elyse Sharp
  • 4.6 (33)
  • PERFORMING ARTS
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY
Shakespeare Anyone?

Shakespeare Anyone? is co-hosted by Elyse Sharp and Kourtney Smith, two professional actors and hobbyist Shakespeare scholars. Join us as we explore Shakepeare’s plays through as many lenses as we can by looking at the text and how the text is viewed through modern lenses of feminism, racism, classism, colonialism, nationalism… all the-isms. We will discuss how his plays shaped both the past and present, and look at how his work was performed throughout various periods of time–all while trying our best to approach his works without giving in to bardolatry. We examine one play at a time for an extended window of time, interspersed with mini-episodes about Shakespeare’s time for context. Episodes are released every other week.

  1. MAR 26

    King Henry V: The Common and Working People of Shakespeare's Time

    Want to support the podcast? Join our Patreon or buy us a coffee. As an independent podcast, Shakespeare Anyone? is supported by listeners like you. In today's episode, we will be exploring the lives of common and working people of Shakespeare's time. While Shakespeare's plays tend to feature nobles, monarchs, and other people of higher status as their main characters, they also feature a variety of characters from lower ranks of society. We will discuss the overall representation of common people in Shakespeare's plays, dive into the specific occupations represented within Shakespeare's play, King Henry V, and then give an overview of other occupations held by the lower ranks of society in Shakespeare's time. Shakespeare Anyone? is created and produced by Kourtney Smith and Elyse Sharp. Music is "Neverending Minute" by Sounds Like Sander. For updates: join our email list, follow us on Instagram at @shakespeareanyonepod or visit our website at shakespeareanyone.com You can support the podcast by becoming a patron at patreon.com/shakespeareanyone, sending us a virtual tip via our tipjar, or by shopping our bookshelves at bookshop.org/shop/shakespeareanyonepod. Find additional links mentioned in the episode in our Linktree. Works referenced: Gillings, Mathew. “Shakespeare and Social Status.” Encyclopedia of Shakespeare’s Language, University of Lancaster, 21 Nov. 2019, wp.lancs.ac.uk/shakespearelang/2017/06/05/shakespeare-and-social-status/. Olsen, Kirstin. "Occupations." All Things Shakespeare: A Concise Encyclopedia of Shakespeare's World, Greenwood World Publishing, Oxford / Westport, CT, 2007. Olsen, Kirstin. "Servants." All Things Shakespeare: A Concise Encyclopedia of Shakespeare's World, Greenwood World Publishing, Oxford / Westport, CT, 2007. Unwin, Stephen. “Introduction.” Poor Naked Wretches: Shakespeare’s Working People, Reaktion Books, London, UK, 2022. Unwin, Stephen. “Inns, Taverns and Brothels.” Poor Naked Wretches: Shakespeare’s Working People, Reaktion Books, London, UK, 2022. Unwin, Stephen. “Soldiers, Sailors and Men at Arms.” Poor Naked Wretches: Shakespeare’s Working People, Reaktion Books, London, UK, 2022.

    1 hr

  2. MAR 12

    Mini: Henry and Emily Folger and the Search for Shakespeare's First Folio

    Want to support the podcast? Join our Patreon or buy us a coffee. As an independent podcast, Shakespeare Anyone? is supported by listeners like you. Have you ever wondered where those colorful Folger paperback editions of Shakespeare plays got their name? Or how the Folger Shakespeare Library came to have the largest collection of First Folios in the world? Or if there was any relation to the coffee brand?  In today’s episode, we are going to be exploring the life of Henry Folger, his wife Emily Jordan Folger, their quest for copies of the First Folio, and how their collection forever changed our modern understanding of Shakespeare and the early modern period.  Shakespeare Anyone? is created and produced by Kourtney Smith and Elyse Sharp. Music is "Neverending Minute" by Sounds Like Sander. For updates: join our email list, follow us on Instagram at @shakespeareanyonepod or visit our website at shakespeareanyone.com You can support the podcast by becoming a patron at patreon.com/shakespeareanyone, sending us a virtual tip via our tipjar, or by shopping our bookshelves at bookshop.org/shop/shakespeareanyonepod. Find additional links mentioned in the episode in our Linktree. Works referenced: Grant, Stephen H. Collecting Shakespeare: The Story of Henry and Emily Folger. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2014 Mays, Andrea E. The Millionaire and the Bard: Henry Folger’s Obsessive Hunt for Shakespeare’s First Folio. Simon & Schuster, 2016.  "Purchasing Power Today of a US Dollar Transaction in the Past," MeasuringWorth, 2025. Staff, Folger Shakesepeare Library. “Andrea Mays on the Millionaire and the Bard.” Folger Shakespeare Library, 18 Nov. 2015, www.folger.edu/podcasts/shakespeare-unlimited/shakespeare-unlimited-episode-36/. Staff, NPR. “A Fortune in Folios: One Man’s Hunt for Shakespeare’s First Editions.” NPR, NPR, 14 May 2015, www.npr.org/2015/05/14/406470976/a-fortune-in-folios-one-man-s-hunt-for-shakespeare-s-first-editions. Witmore, Michael. "Henry Clay Folger." Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Jun. 2024, https://www.britannica.com/money/Henry-Clay-Folger. Accessed 5 March 2025.

    31 min

  3. FEB 26

    King Henry V: Military Life in Shakespeare's England

    Want to support the podcast? Join our Patreon or buy us a coffee. As an independent podcast, Shakespeare Anyone? is supported by listeners like you. In today's episode, we are exploring the realities of military life in early modern and medieval England and how those realities are reflected (or not!) in Shakespeare's King Henry V. We will discuss historical misrepresentations of the English military during Shakespeare's lifetime and how recent scholarship has discovered a wealth of narratives that prove those previous understandings to be incorrect.  We will also discuss the rules of war that existed historically during the reign of King Henry V and how accurately Shakespeare portrays and navigates those historical norms within the fictional world of the play. Shakespeare Anyone? is created and produced by Kourtney Smith and Elyse Sharp. Music is "Neverending Minute" by Sounds Like Sander. For updates: join our email list, follow us on Instagram at @shakespeareanyonepod or visit our website at shakespeareanyone.com You can support the podcast by becoming a patron at patreon.com/shakespeareanyone, sending us a virtual tip via our tipjar, or by shopping our bookshelves at bookshop.org/shop/shakespeareanyonepod. Works referenced: Lawrence, D.R. (2011), Reappraising the Elizabethan and Early Stuart Soldier: Recent Historiography on Early Modern English Military Culture. History Compass, 9: 16-33. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1478-0542.2010.00748.x  Meron, Theodor. “Shakespeare’s Henry the Fifth and the Law of War.” The American Journal of International Law, vol. 86, no. 1, 1992, pp. 1–45. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/2203137. Accessed 18 Feb. 2025.

    50 min

  4. FEB 12

    Mini: English Nobility and Titles in Shakespeare's Time

    Want to support the podcast? Join our Patreon or buy us a coffee. As an independent podcast, Shakespeare Anyone? is supported by listeners like you. In today’s episode, we’ll be talking about early modern English nobility. Shakespeare’s history plays are about monarchs and royal lineages, and the world he was writing in was organized by ranks and degrees. So, we think it's important to talk about these pivotal ranks from kings to landed gentry. And we want to acknowledge that this mini-episode is strictly focusing on the social ranks from the Crown down to the landed gentry. We will be discussing additional ranks and social classes of England in forthcoming episodes. Shakespeare Anyone? is created and produced by Kourtney Smith and Elyse Sharp. Music is "Neverending Minute" by Sounds Like Sander. For updates: join our email list, follow us on Instagram at @shakespeareanyonepod or visit our website at shakespeareanyone.com You can support the podcast by becoming a patron at patreon.com/shakespeareanyone, sending us a virtual tip via our tipjar, or by shopping our bookshelves at bookshop.org/shop/shakespeareanyonepod. Works referenced: Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "baron". Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 May. 2024, https://www.britannica.com/topic/baron. Accessed 9 February 2025. Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "duke". Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Feb. 2025, https://www.britannica.com/topic/duke. Accessed 9 February 2025. Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "earl". Encyclopedia Britannica, 20 Jul. 2024, https://www.britannica.com/topic/earl-title. Accessed 9 February 2025. Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "marquess". Encyclopedia Britannica, 22 Sep. 2024, https://www.britannica.com/topic/marquess. Accessed 9 February 2025. Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "peerage". Encyclopedia Britannica, 17 Dec. 2024, https://www.britannica.com/topic/peerage. Accessed 9 February 2025. Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "viscount". Encyclopedia Britannica, 13 Jun. 2024, https://www.britannica.com/topic/viscount. Accessed 9 February 2025. Debrett’s, The Editors of. “The Baronetage.” Debretts, Debretts, 10 Dec. 2024, debretts.com/peerage/the-baronetage/. Debrett’s, The Editors of. “Debrett’s Guide to the Ranks and Privileges of the Peerage.” Debretts, Debretts, 10 Dec. 2024, debretts.com/peerage/the-peerage/ranks-and-privileges-of-the-peerage/. Debrett’s, The Editors of. “The Knightage.” Debretts, Debretts, 10 Dec. 2024, debretts.com/peerage/the-knightage/. Ruggiu, François-Joseph . "Nobility and Gentry in the Early Modern Atlantic World". In obo in Atlantic History. 9 Feb. 2025. . Wikipedia contributors. "Landed gentry." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 17 Jan. 2025. Web. 9 Feb. 2025. Wikipedia contributors. "Social class in the United Kingdom." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 15 Jan. 2025. Web. 9 Feb. 2025. Zelazko, Alicja. "British nobility". Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 Jul. 2024, https://www.britannica.com/topic/British-nobility. Accessed 9 February 2025.

    15 min

  5. JAN 29

    King Henry V: Historical Figures vs Shakespeare's Fictional Characters

    Want to support the podcast? Join our Patreon or buy us a coffee. As an independent podcast, Shakespeare Anyone? is supported by listeners like you. In this week's episode, we are exploring the historical record to better understand the difference between the facts of the historical record and the history-making and myths in Shakespeare's King Henry V. We will share brief biographies of the historical figures presented in Shakespeare's play and discuss how understanding where Shakespeare embellished or elided history can help us understand the values of the audiences of his day and how this understanding can potentially inform performances and readings of Shakespeare's play today.  Shakespeare Anyone? is created and produced by Kourtney Smith and Elyse Sharp. Music is "Neverending Minute" by Sounds Like Sander. For updates: join our email list, follow us on Instagram at @shakespeareanyonepod or visit our website at shakespeareanyone.com You can support the podcast by becoming a patron at patreon.com/shakespeareanyone, sending us a virtual tip via our tipjar, or by shopping our bookshelves at bookshop.org/shop/shakespeareanyonepod. Are you a teacher who teaches upper grades (US 9-12 or equivalent) and teaches Shakespeare or wants to teach Shakespeare? We want to hear from you: https://www.shakespeareanyone.com/teachersurvey Works referenced: Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Charles VI". Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 Nov. 2024, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Charles-VI-king-of-France. Accessed 26 January 2025. Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Edward of Norwich, 2nd duke of York". Encyclopedia Britannica, 21 Oct. 2024, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Edward-of-Norwich-2nd-duke-of-York. Accessed 26 January 2025. Carpenter, Christine. "Beauchamp, Richard, thirteenth earl of Warwick (1382–1439), magnate." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.  October 03, 2013. Oxford University Press. Date of access 27 Jan. 2025 Catto, Jeremy. "Chichele, Henry (c. 1362–1443), administrator and archbishop of Canterbury." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.  September 23, 2004. Oxford University Press. Date of access 27 Jan. 2025 Griffiths, R. A. "Holland [Holand], John, first duke of Exeter (1395–1447), soldier and magnate." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.  January 03, 2008. Oxford University Press. Date of access 27 Jan. 2025 Harriss, G. L. "Beaufort, Thomas, duke of Exeter (1377?–1426), magnate and soldier." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.  January 03, 2008. Oxford University Press. Date of access 27 Jan. 2025 Harriss, G. L. "Humphrey [Humfrey or Humphrey of Lancaster], duke of Gloucester [called Good Duke Humphrey] (1390–1447), prince, soldier, and literary patron." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.  June 11, 2020. Oxford University Press. Date of access 27 Jan. 2025 Harriss, G. L. "Richard [Richard of Conisbrough], earl of Cambridge (1385–1415), magnate." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.  September 14, 2023. Oxford University Press. Date of access 27 Jan. 2025 Hughes, Jonathan. "Arundel [Fitzalan], Thomas (1353–1414), administrator and archbishop of Canterbury." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.  May 24, 2007. Oxford University Press. Date of access 27 Jan. 2025 Jones, Dan. Henry V: The Astonishing Triumph of England’s Greatest Warrior King. Viking, 2024. Pollard, A. J. "Neville, Richard, fifth earl of Salisbury (1400–1460), magnate." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.  January 03, 2008. Oxford University Press. Date of access 27 Jan. 2025 Stratford, Jenny. "John [John of Lancaster], duke of Bedford (1389–1435), regent of France and prince." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.  September 22, 2011. Oxford University Press. Date of access 27 Jan. 2025 Tuck, Anthony. "Edmund [Edmund of Langley], first duke of York (1341–1402), prince." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.  September 14, 2023. Oxford University Press. Date of access 27 Jan. 2025 Tuck, Anthony. "Neville, Ralph, first earl of Westmorland (c. 1364–1425), magnate." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.  January 03, 2008. Oxford University Press. Date of access 27 Jan. 2025 Vale, Brigette. "Scrope, Henry, third Baron Scrope of Masham (c. 1376–1415), soldier and administrator." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.  January 03, 2008. Oxford University Press. Date of access 27 Jan. 2025 Walker, Simon. "Erpingham, Sir Thomas (c. 1355–1428), soldier." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.  January 03, 2008. Oxford University Press. Date of access 27 Jan. 2025 Wikipedia contributors. "Charles II, Duke of Lorraine." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 11 Jan. 2025. Web. 27 Jan. 2025. Wikipedia contributors. "Isabeau of Bavaria." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 24 Jan. 2025. Web. 27 Jan. 2025. Wikipedia contributors. "Louis, Duke of Guyenne." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 10 Nov. 2024. Web. 27 Jan. 2025.

    1h 1m

  6. JAN 15

    King Henry V: Stuff to Chew On

    To kick off our series on Shakespeare's King Henry V, we are (as always) starting with an overview of basic facts about the play and an introduction to the major themes and motifs of the play.  Location of the Battle of Agincourt Shakespeare Anyone? is created and produced by Kourtney Smith and Elyse Sharp. Music is "Neverending Minute" by Sounds Like Sander. Follow us on Instagram at @shakespeareanyonepod for updates or visit our website at shakespeareanyone.com You can support the podcast by becoming a patron at patreon.com/shakespeareanyone, sending us a virtual tip via our tipjar, or by shopping our bookshelves at bookshop.org/shop/shakespeareanyonepod. Works referenced: Shakespeare, William. King Henry V. Edited by T. W. Craik, Arden Shakespeare, 1995. SparkNotes Editors. “King Henry V” SparkNotes.com, SparkNotes LLC, 2005, https://www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/henryv/

    29 min

  7. JAN 1

    King Henry V: Synopsis

    We are starting off 2025 and Shakespeare Anyone's fifth year with our first History (and also a play with the number five in its title): King Henry V. In this episode, we will provide a detailed summary of the plot, breaking down the action of the play scene by scene. To quote this play, "once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more," or...let's dive in! Shakespeare Anyone? is created and produced by Kourtney Smith and Elyse Sharp. Music is "Neverending Minute" by Sounds Like Sander. Follow us on Instagram at @shakespeareanyonepod for updates or visit our website at shakespeareanyone.com You can support the podcast by becoming a patron at patreon.com/shakespeareanyone, sending us a virtual tip via our tipjar, or by shopping our bookshelves at bookshop.org/shop/shakespeareanyonepod. Works referenced: Shakespeare, William. King Henry V. Edited by T. W. Craik, Arden Shakespeare, 1995.

    1h 32m

  8. 12/18/2024

    [Re-issue] Stuff You Should Know Part 3: William Shakespeare (Revised)

    Over this past year, we quietly went back to where we began this podcast and worked on revising our Intro Series, "Stuff You Should Know." We updated the original episodes quietly in September. When we started thinking about what we wanted to release for the end of 2024, we feel like nothing encapsulates how we've grown as podcasters and scholars over the past four years better than these revised episodes, so we wanted to revisit them and share these episodes again.  -- This is Part 3 of our intro series “Stuff You Should Know,” which covers some background and context into the life and times of Shakespeare, because art isn’t created in a vacuum. In this episode, we’ll be covering some basic information about Shakespeare. And when we say basic, we mean basic. And, even though Shakespeare is a famous figure, scholars and historians actually know quite little about William Shakespeare the man. We will discuss what scholars know about Shakespeare's early life in Stratford-upon-Avon and what a typical education for a young man of Shakespeare's background. We will also discuss some popular theories about what Shakespeare may have done in life before arriving in London. We will then give an overview of Shakespeare's career of an actor and playwright, his family, and his later life.  Want more about Shakespeare the man? Check out these episodes that go more in depth on topics we touch on in this episode: Mini-Episode: Christopher Marlowe Mini: Ben Jonson, Shakespeare's Colleague and Competitor Mini: Anne Hathaway, Shakespeare's Wife Shakespeare Anyone? is created, written, produced, and hosted by Kourtney Smith and Elyse Sharp. Episode written and researched by Kourtney Smith with contributions by Elyse Sharp. Revised September 2024. Music is "Neverending Minute" by Sounds Like Sander. Follow us on Instagram at @shakespeareanyonepod for updates or visit our website at shakespeareanyone.com You can support the podcast by becoming a patron at patreon.com/shakespeareanyone, sending us a virtual tip via our tipjar, or by shopping our bookshelves at bookshop.org/shop/shakespeareanyonepod. Works referenced: Dale, Liam, director. William Shakespeare: the Life and Times. 1091 Pictures, Cobra Entertainment, 3 Apr. 2017. Accessed 16 Sept. 2020, from www.youtube.com/watch?v=qafnuBH8KPs Mcarafano. (2020, February 25). Shakespeare's Life. Accessed 16 Sept. 2020, from https://www.folger.edu/shakespeares-life William Shakespeare Biography. (n.d.). Accessed 16 Sept. 2020, from https://www.shakespeare.org.uk/explore-shakespeare/shakespedia/william-shakespeare/william-shakespeare-biography/

    20 min
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About

Shakespeare Anyone? is co-hosted by Elyse Sharp and Kourtney Smith, two professional actors and hobbyist Shakespeare scholars. Join us as we explore Shakepeare’s plays through as many lenses as we can by looking at the text and how the text is viewed through modern lenses of feminism, racism, classism, colonialism, nationalism… all the-isms. We will discuss how his plays shaped both the past and present, and look at how his work was performed throughout various periods of time–all while trying our best to approach his works without giving in to bardolatry. We examine one play at a time for an extended window of time, interspersed with mini-episodes about Shakespeare’s time for context. Episodes are released every other week.

Information

  • Creator
    Kourtney Smith & Elyse Sharp
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2025
  • Episodes
    119
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Show Website
    Shakespeare Anyone?

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