![]() ![]() ![]() While there is no evidence of Shakespeare specifically being quarantined, the plagues closed the theaters in London repeatedly. Shakespeare's life, like the lives of many people in England at the turn of the seventeenth-century, was shaped by plague. There is no reason to believe that his productivity was enhanced by plague or quarantine. While this is an impressive feat, Shakespeare typically wrote multiple plays in any given year. ![]() Shapiro notes in his book The Year of Lear that, in or around 1606, Shakespeare likely wrote King Lear, along with Macbeth, Antony and Cleopatra, Timon of Athens, and Pericles in quick succession - perhaps even within the same calendar year. Related: Coronavirus: Every Event & Convention Cancelled So Farĭr. ![]() It's clear that Shakespeare's plays have influenced and inspired countless writers through the centuries. But did Shakespeare really write King Lear while being quarantined (as said by Roseanne Cash on Twitter)? Did plague affect how he wrote or what he wrote about? Alongside the coronavirus, conversations on social media, as well as articles in The Atlantic and The New York Times, have considered how the plague affected Shakespeare's life and works. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |