History of the English Language: Shakespeare's Contribution – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSgCa6OEOFU How Shakespeare shaped modern English — vocabulary, grammar, and expression.

Shakespearean Insult Generator – https://www.pangloss.com/seidel/shake_rule.html Make your own Shakespearean insult! (Thou saucy toad-spotted miscreant!)

How Shakespeare Influences the Way We Speak Now – https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20160419-how-shakespeare-influences-the-way-we-speak-now BBC article on the words and phrases Shakespeare gave us that we still use every day.

Why Shakespeare Loved Iambic Pentameter – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5s3mK39GYw Video explanation of iambic pentameter — a line of verse with five metrical feet, each with one unstressed followed by one stressed syllable.

Examples of Iambic Pentameter: "But soft! What light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun." — Romeo and Juliet "Two households, both alike in dignity..." — Romeo and Juliet

Teachers and students have complained about Shakespeare for centuries. What can be gained from studying plays written 400 years ago? It can be argued that Shakespeare was the greatest dramatist, the greatest poet, and the greatest prose writer in the history of the English language. His works give us insight into what it means to be human — what drives us to commit good and bad acts, and causes us to question the justification of those acts. We study Shakespeare to learn about ourselves.

Shakespeare's English Is Still Relevant – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAx4NqZiGEQ

David Tennant — Shakespeare Still Matters – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIiSCOz3usI

Tom Hiddleston — How Shakespeare Seeped Into My Bones – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2CTmOGEcXQ

TED Talk — Why Shakespeare? – https://www.ted.com/talks/

What Actors Make of Shakespeare – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIiSCOz3usI

At the center of Shakespeare fandom is one burning question: did Shakespeare actually write Shakespeare?

Several theories claim Shakespeare plagiarized the works or was a pseudonym for someone else. What do you think? Check out the links below and form your own opinion.

TED-ED — Did Shakespeare Write His Plays? – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKlJGCMEwBY

Ask History — Shakespeare Authorship Debate – https://www.history.com/news/who-wrote-shakespeares-plays

Authorship Debate – https://www.shakespeareauthorship.com

Shakespeare or the Earl of Oxford? – https://www.oxfordianblog.com

William Shakespeare: The Conspiracy Theories – https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20160418-the-conspiracy-theories-about-shakespeare

The Globe Theatre was where many of Shakespeare's greatest plays were first performed. Any play written after 1599 — including Hamlet, Macbeth, Othello, King Lear, and Antony and Cleopatra — was performed there. Julius Caesar was most likely the very first play performed at the Globe. Today that tradition continues with regular performances at the reconstructed Globe in London.

 Visit & Explore

Shakespeare's Globe Official Site – https://www.shakespearesglobe.com Current productions, education resources, and visitor information.

Virtual Walking Tour – https://www.shakespearesglobe.com/visit/whats-on/virtual-tour Walk through Shakespeare's Globe in London without leaving your seat.

Inside the Globe — 360 Video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IU3OWPdMXlE A 360-degree virtual tour inside the reconstructed Globe. Look around the entire theater as if you were standing there.

Google Arts & Culture — Shakespeare's Globe – https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/shakespeares-globe Virtual tours, behind the scenes images, and curated stories about the Globe.

History & Background

PBS LearningMedia — The Globe Theatre – https://www.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/glob-glob-theatre/the-globe-theatre Video and classroom resources on the history of the Globe.

Shakespeare's Globe Mini-Documentary – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXpobMjBGsA Short documentary on the history and reconstruction of the Globe Theatre.

History of the Globe Theatre – https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofEngland/The-Globe-Theatre Clear overview of the original Globe, its destruction, and reconstruction.

English Heritage — Globe Theatre – https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/shakespeares-globe Background on the Globe from England's official historic preservation organization.

Globe Theatre Primary Sources – https://www.shakespearesglobe.com/discover/about-us/history Archives, images, and historical documentation of the original and reconstructed Globe.

For Teachers

Globe Theatre Education – https://www.shakespearesglobe.com/learn Lesson plans, workshops, and classroom resources directly from the Globe's education team. Great for building a unit around the plays.