This is episode 41 of Ripe Good Scholar: The Sources for Twelfth Night Hello and welcome to Ripe Good Scholar. Since we just celebrated the epiphany, or twelfth night, we thought it would be worthwhile to visit the famous Shakespeare text of the same name. Like most of Shakespeare’s work, the story was borrowed from another source. In this case, it was an English prose version of an Italian play. The prose adaptation, Apollonius and Silla, was written by an English soldier, Barnabe Rich. Today Eli and I are going to look at Rich’s text to see what Shakespeare borrowed and what he left out. By ..read more

In this episode we will be discussing the case of Eleanor Cobham, Duchess of Gloucester. We Shakespeareans will know Eleanor as the woman that Margaret of Anjou slapped in Henry VI Part 2. In the play and in real life, Eleanor was accused and found guilty of using witchcraft which led to severe consequences, but fortunately not death. It was, of course, much more complicated than what we see in Shakespeare. By looking into the life and downfall of Eleanor Cobham, we see a smart woman who was caught in the crossfire of a power struggle between her husband and his enemies. She did what she could ..read more

Hello and welcome to Ripe Good Scholar, spooky edition. Since it’s Halloween, let’s explore a topic that would have been all too familiar to the Shakespearean audience: witches. King James in particular was very anti-witch and led some of the most brutal witch hunts in history. Today Dr. Lisa Grogan and I are going to explore the history of witchcraft and witch hunts, specifically focusing on the time of King James. Lisa is familiar with the history of witchcraft because she identifies as a witch and follows the wiccan religion. Join us as we explore what it was to be a witch and how the perce ..read more

This is episode 38 of Ripe Good Scholar: Venus, Adonis, and Ovid Hello and welcome to Ripe Good Scholar. During his school days Shakespeare was studying the Latin classics, including one that would be a favorite in his life as a playwright, Ovid. Shakespeare adapted a story from Ovid into his best-selling poem, Venus and Adonis. While we are very familiar with Shakespeare adapting other works, readers may be surprised to notice such a stark difference between the two tellings. That is why today Eli and I will be examining the story in both Ovid and Shakespeare to find the differences and ident ..read more

Hello and welcome to Ripe Good Scholar. One of the first written references to Shakespeare in the London Theater scene is a pamphlet written by Robert Greene on his deathbed, A Groatsworth of Wit. In it, he warns his fellow playwrights to beware of this “upstart crow” who was coming in to steal their glory. These Shakespeare references are why the pamphlet is so well known today, but there is so much more to it than that. There is a story, a peek into the inner world of Elizabethan theater and some insults so damning that the editor had to issue an apology. It’s a compelling pamphlet for all t ..read more

Hello and welcome to Ripe Good Scholar. William Shakespeare is not just a staple of British culture. His works are an important staple of American culture as well. This evolution was not a simple one or one that was straight forward. There were obstacles to overcome and despite the questionable odds, Shakespeare became ingrained in American culture. Today we are going to look at the early days of the american colonies and when Shakespeare made the journey across the Atlantic. It’s an interesting look into the history of America and the role Shakespeare played in the early days of our country ..read more

In this episode… Dr. Lisa Grogan and I will take a look at Leontes’ from The Winter’s Tale. Early in the play, he becomes obsessed with the idea that his wife is having an affair with his friend, the King of Bohemia. His paranoia escalates quickly and, once he suffers any consequences, subsides just as quickly. This, to me, seemed unrealistic, so I spoke with Dr. Grogan about it. Her insights were interesting because the pattern was realistic, just sped up, which is pretty on par with Shakespeare. In addition to examining Leontes in particular, we discuss paranoid delusions in general, what it ..read more

Welcome to episode 34 of Ripe Good Scholar: City Comedies. In this episode, Eli and I will be discussing one of the most popular play genres of Shakespeare’s time, the city comedy. While the precise definition is difficult, the basic definition is a play which focuses on the day to day happenings of the middle class. Common topics were sex and money. The comedy also tended to be on the raunchier or bawdier side. It’s like if you took all of the most hilarious scenes in Shakespeare’s plays and put them into one play. Because the plays focus on everyday people and everyday occurrences (more or l ..read more

Welcome to episode #33 of Ripe Good Scholar the podcast where we explore the journey Shakespeare’s texts have travelled through the centuries.   In this episode, Eli and I will be comparing Shakespeare’s Cymbeline to the folktale Snow White. Despite the fact that Snow White was not published until decades after Shakespeare’s death, the folktale would have been passed down through the oral tradition for many years before publication. It is these oral tales that influenced Shakespeare as he wrote his play. In fact, it looks like Shakespeare drew inspiration from a few different folktales to ..read more

Welcome to episode 32 of Ripe Good Scholar: The Analyzing of a Shrew.   In this episode… Dr. Lisa Grogan and I will take a trip through the mind of Katherine from The Taming of a Shrew. From the start of the play, Katherine is portrayed as an unpleasant and outspoken woman. These traits make her an outcast in her society. The people in her life make it clear to her that her behavior is not desirable or even very likable. It doesn’t prompt her to change though, even though it makes finding a husband difficult. She would rather be true to herself than conform, which makes her a rather admir ..read more