shakespeare unbard

a 38 episode podcast in which joel fishbane explores each of Shakespeare's plays, offering tidbits, trivia, and revisionist interpretations of all those plays they made you read in school. 

Shakespeare Unbard, Episode 17: Is "The Merry Wives of Windsor" a prequel to the Henriad or just Shakespearian fan fiction?

If anyone in Elizabethan times wrote Shakespearian fan fiction, it probably looks a lot like The Merry Wives of Windsor. Although half its cast has been stolen from the Henriad, the story doesn't quite fit within the chronology of those two plays, making it feel as if Shakespeare plucked his characters out of one universe and dropped them into another. Had he done this for the sake of a great play, all would be forgiven. Sadly, this is not the case.

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Shakespeare Unbard, Episode 16: The Misfit of Art that is Henry IV Part Two

Henry IV Part Two is a messy and weak play that no theatrical producer would ever produce on its own. When it is produced, it is always in conjunction with its predecessor, making the play the theatrical equivalent of your favorite comic book sidekick. In Episode 16 of Shakespeare Unbard, Joel Fishbane discusses the problems with putting Sir John Falstaff at centre stage. Also, the show is summarize and Orson Wells' film Chimes at Midnight is discussed. 

 

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Shakespeare Unbard, Episode 15: What's Shakespeare's best play? It's Henry IV Part One

Henry IV Part One sits as a touchstone in Shakespeare's career, his first glorious success and the means by which we can mark his development as a playwright. In Episode 15 of Shakespeare Unbard, Joel Fishbane explores how, with Henry IV Part One, Shakespeare the Artist truly arrives. Also, the play is summarized and several adaptations are discussed.

 

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Shakespeare Unbard, Episode 13: Why did Shakespeare write about King John?

Of Shakespeare's ten plays about the English monarchy, King John stands out because it has nothing to do with anyone named Henry or Richard. Why did Shakespeare choose to write about King John and not, say, Henry III? In this episode of Shakespeare Unbard, Joel Fishbane examines this complicated play. Also: the show is summarized and two different productions are reviewed.

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