Shakespeare’s Quadracentenary

When the First Folio was published 7 years after Shakespeare’s death, the book may very well have flopped. Large, expensive volumes of contemporary plays were virtually unheard of because English drama was not yet venerated as literature or high culture. After declining in value for 150 years, however, the First Folio began to be revered and coveted at the end of the 18th century. Market values skyrocketed. In 1623, the First Folio sold for an estimated 15 shillings, which is about $208 today, yet in October 2020 a copy sold at auction for a record $9.98 million.

On display will be a facsimile edition of the First Folio as well as books commemorating its 300th anniversary celebrated in 1923.

Shakespeare for

Young Readers

Beginning with Thomas Bowdler’s 1818 Family Shakespeare, which sanitized the plays for Christian readers, modern writers have gradually expanded Shakespeare’s audience to target the entertainment and education of young readers. Today, Shakespeare’s plays have been reimagined in a multitude of forms, from character origin stories to video games.

On display will be Bowdler’s Family Shakespeare, Charles and Mary Lamb’s Tales From Shakespeare, early illustrated editions, Young Adult novels, graphic novels, and even books depicting the plays with LEGO blocks.

Shakespeare in Modern Media

As modern media have proliferated, so have opportunities for reimagining Shakespeare’s plays. The first Shakespearean movie was King John in 1899, a silent film depicting only four scenes from the play. Since then, Shakespearean plays have seen over 400 feature-length film and television adaptations, and the plays continue to inspire musical scores and operas. And, from 2010 to 2021, Shakespeare even had his own Twitter account, tweeting some 18,000 times.

On display will be movie posters from film adaptations from Forbidden Planet (1956) to Gnomeo and Juliet (2011), vinyl records of music and dramatic readings, pop-up books, and paper dolls of Shakespearean characters.

Shakespeare and 

Popular Culture

The presence of Shakespeare in modern popular culture is pervasive. Shakespearean lines have become part of our daily language and Shakespearean stories appear throughout contemporary entertainment, from Walt Disney’s The Lion King to HBO’s Succession.

On display will be artifacts from modern popular culture, including Shakespeare-themed cocktail books and cookbooks, coffee mugs and plateware, and novelty Shakespeare action figures and board games that appeal to a different kind of “play.”