Main content

Shakespeare's Restless World Episodes

  1.

    20. Shakespeare Goes Global

    20/20 How a folio of collected plays in 1623 began the creation of a global phenomenon.

  2. 19. The Theatres of Cruelty

    19/20 A human eyeball in a silver setting gives a striking insight into the theatre of cruelty.

  3. 18. London Becomes Rome

    18/20 Neil MacGregor surveys the triumphal arches created for James I's entry into London.

  4. 17. Plague and the Playhouse

    17/20 Early 17th-century proclamations reveal the impact of the 1603 plague outbreak.

  5. 16. A Time of Change, a Change of Time

    16/20 A striking clock reveals the changing relationship Shakespeare's audiences had to time.

  6. 15. The Flag That Failed

    15/20 The problems in creating a Great Britain are encapsulated in designs for a common flag.

  7. 14. Disguise and Deception

    14/20 A pedlar's trunk reveals deception and religion, cross-dressing and travelling salesmen.

  8. 13. From London to Marrakech

    13/20 Sunken gold from West Africa sheds light on England's complex relationship with the Moors.

  9. 12. Sex and the City

    12/20 Neil MacGregor on how a delicate glass goblet reveals the twin seductions of Venice.

  10. 11. Treason and Plots

    11/20 Tabloid history of Shakespeare's England via contemporary accounts of royal murder plots.

  11. 10. Toil and Trouble

    10/20 A model ship hung in a church reveals the differences between Scottish and English witches

  12. 9. New Science, Old Magic

    9/20 A disc of black obsidian from Mexico reflects the Elizabethan fascination with astrology.

  13. 8. City Life, Urban Strife

    8/20 Neil MacGregor explores life in Shakespeare's London through an apprentice's woollen cap.

  14. 7. Ireland: Failures in the Present

    7/20 A rare woodcut offers an insight into the troubles and tragedies of Elizabethan Ireland.

  15. 6. Europe: Triumphs of the Past

    6/20 What Henry V's armoury tells us about the depiction of history on the Elizabeth stage.

  16. 5. Swordplay and Swagger

    5/20 Neil MacGregor explores the essential accoutrements of any self-respecting gentleman.

  17. 4. Life without Elizabeth

    4/20 The story behind a portrait justifying Elizabeth I's position in the Tudor succession.

  18. 3. Snacking Through Shakespeare

    3/20 A fork found on the site of the Rose Theatre reveals what people ate in the Bard's time.

  19. 2. Communion and Conscience

    2/20 Neil MacGregor uses the Stratford Chalice to explore the world in Shakespeare's time.

  20. 1. England Goes Global

    1/20 Assessing the impact of Sir Francis Drake's Circumnavigation Medal.