Queen Elizabeth

Aug 4, 1598 – William Cecil Dies

August 4, 2012

Chief advisor to Queen Elizabeth I for almost 50 years, William Cecil, Lord Burghley, may have been a model for Polonius, the moralizing, meddling royal counselor and father of Ophelia in Shakespeare’s Hamlet. The nuggets of wisdom he compiled for his son bear a striking resemblance to the memorable (and much more quotable) counsel Polonius…

Midsummer Monsieur: Episode 3 with Earl Showerman

May 9, 2012

Does A Midsummer Night’s Dream satirize Queen Elizabeth’s courtship with the Duc of Alençon, brother to King Henry III of France? Join Dr. Earl Showerman for a spirited visit to the court of the Virgin Queen, where politics, love, image-making and theater weave together in a confused tangle, and discover links from this colorful time to Shakespeare’s magical comedy.