Will: What Is He Good For?

Shakespeare’s death in 1616 could have meant the loss of his words forever. Many of his plays existed only in fragile manuscripts and cheap, error-filled quartos. Then, seven years later, two of his fellow actors—John Heminges and Henry Condell—took on the monumental task of preserving their friend’s work. Their project became the First Folio of 1623: the first collected edition of Shakespeare’s plays. Without it, we would have no Macbeth, no Twelfth Night, no The Tempest. With it, Shakespeare’s reputation leapt from playwright of his time to literary giant for all time. Season 4 of Will: What Is He Good For? uncovers the story of the First Folio: how it was assembled, why it mattered, and how one book turned Shakespeare into a legend whose words continue to shape our world four centuries later.

In the Season 3 finale of Will: What is He Good For? we explore how Shakespeare’s writing was shaped not only by the theaters and venues where his plays were performed, but also by the monarchy and the shifting tastes of his audiences. We trace his evolution from writing for traveling troupes—where simple staging and minimal sets were a necessity—to the grandeur of the Globe, where plays like Much Ado About Nothing, As You Like It, and Hamlet thrived on the energy of large, dynamic spaces. Later, with access to the more intimate Blackfriars Theatre, Shakespeare experimented with subtler staging and more introspective storytelling, giving us works like The Winter’s Tale and The Tempest. Across these spaces, Shakespeare’s characters and stories grew in depth and complexity, reflecting not just his genius but also the demands and opportunities of the stage. To close the season, we ask: who really shaped Shakespeare? Was it the patronage and influence of monarchs like Elizabeth I and James I, the performance spaces that demanded new styles of writing, or was it simply Shakespeare’s unmatched ability to tune into his world and transform it into timeless art?

Along with the adult acting troupes, such as the Queen's Men, there was another genre of acting troupes that influenced Shakespeare and his writing.  Children's, or boy acting troupes and their rise in popularity caught Shakespeare's attention and caused him to elevate his writing. 

On February 2nd in 1585, Shakespeare signs a baptismal certificate for his twin children Judith and Hamnet.  This is the last record we have of what he is doing for the next seven years and beginning what scholars call his “lost years”  There are many, many theories of what he was doing during this time. In this episode, we explore the story of William Knell and the Queen’s Men, and how it may shed some light on the unexpected journey the young man from Stratford would ultimately embark on.  

This season, we're taking a deeper look at the evolving theatre scene of the 1500-1600s and how the way plays were produced influenced what ended up in the final texts we have of William Shakespeare.  In our first episode, we explore one of the earliest influences on the young Bard: traveling and touring theater companies. Listen in to learn more about the types of productions being produced in the late 1500s and the way those touring productions shaped the written texts we know today. 

Season 3 of Will: What is He Good For? is coming soon! Join us for another fun-filled series of Shakespeare history and an exploration of his plays. This season we're taking deeper look at the landscape of Elizabethan theatre, who was performing what and how.  Listen to our teaser episode to learn more about what to expect from this season.  From the traveling acting troupes that he would eventually join, to the children’s acting troupes that rivaled his own Lord’s Chamberlain's Men in popularity, to the spaces he worked and wrote for.   We’ll look to the text to find examples of how Shakespeare incorporated his life on the Elizabethan stage, into his work and also consider the broader historical context.  Join us for Season 3 of Will: What is He Good For? From the Stage to the Page.

Over the past several episodes, we've explored some of the common themes presented in Shakespeare's married couples that hint at how he felt about marriage.  In Julius Caesar, Calpurnia and Portia are clear examples of what happens when you don't listen to your wife. From Portia and Bassanio to Jessica and Lorenzo in Merchant of Venice - marriage doesn't guarantee a happily ever after - but in finding common ground and a shared vision for life with your partner - happiness is within reach. As demonstrated by Kate and Petruchio, marriage is a partnership and requires teamwork as you play the game of life.  There is one more concept that appears in Shakespeare's plays frequently from his most famous couples to those lesser known. Trust. Trust and respect is pivotal in nearly all relationships in Shakespeare, and he offers some pretty drastic consequences for letting a marriage break. Today, we’ll look at two plays that sum up what we feel his perspective on marriage may have been... Macbeth and The Winter's Tale. 

Most of this season we have attempted to give new perspective to the traditional narrative that Shakespeare viewed marriage negatively having been forced into marriage in his personal life.  We have even come dangerously close to calling him a feminist. In this episode, we double down and talk about what most would call his least progressive and most misogynistic play, Taming of the Shrew. 

In the last episode, we felt pretty confident saying that Shakespeare believed that a good marriage was one of true partnership filled with respect, trust, communication, and most importantly love. However, in Elizabethan England, the act of getting married was still predominantly a business transaction. While courtship mattered to a degree, you married for three reasons: increased social status, monetary gain, or occasionally love.   But could a transactional marriage lead to a true happily ever after? Or was happiness only found by those madly in love?  In this episode, we take a look at two of the marriages in The Merchant of Venice and explore how running away for love doesn't always guarantee a happy ending - and how marrying by business transaction sometimes can (even if it means coercing fate to get the right mate).   

It’s one of the most tried and true storylines, the husband makes bad decisions that his wife warns him not to, the husband does it anyway and shenanigans ensue. Today, it’s more of a setup for comedies than dramas but Shakespeare used this theme throughout the canon. In this episode, we take a look at a couple of couples from one of Shakespeare’s cornerstone plays to see what their relationships can tell us about Shakespeare's views on marriage and partnership.

On this season of Will: What is He Good For?, we will explore Shakespeare’s marriage to Anne Hathaway and explore his general attitude towards marriage through his personal history and textual clues. There is an academic discussion that because he was pushed into marriage after Anne Hathaway became pregnant and that he gave her the "second best bed" in his will that he had a negative view of marriage. And that this negative view is why he often portrays domineering and destructive marriages. But we say, baloney. While we don’t know what went on behind Mr. and Mrs. Shakespeare's bedroom doors, we believe there is a common theme in Shakespeare's plays when it comes to marriage and the story is more positive, loving, and modern than one might think.  In Episode 1 - we explore William Shakespeare's final will and testament and discuss what clues the man from Stratford left behind that might give us insight into his perspective on marriage and what his final gift to his wife truly meant.   Additional Links and Helpful Resources Shakespeare Documented - Shakespeare's Last Will and Testament Shakespeare Birthplace Trust - The Second Best Bed No Sweat Shakespeare - An Analysis of William Shakespeare's Will & Testament Learn more about Will, Victoria, Sharon and their theater company Classics on the Rocks here. 

Season 2 of Will: What is He Good For? is coming soon! Join us for another fun-filled series of Shakespeare history and an exploration of his plays. This season, we're talking Shakespeare and marriage. What did Shakespeare really think about love and marriage? And was giving his wife, Ann Hathaway, the "second best bed" a dying man's final bitter burn or the gift of a loving and caring husband? Find out in Season 2.... stay tuned.

March 24, 1603, Queen Elizabeth I dies, and without an heir or a clear line of succession she is succeeded by James I, her second cousin.  With a new monarch and family line in place, it’s time for Shakespeare to cozy up to James (just like he did with Elizabeth). In our 5th and final episode of the season, we talk about how “the Scottish play", and Shakespeare's later plays bring his epic life to a close.    

After an 18-month plague-induced lockdown London’s theatres begin to open up again and the acting companies make their way back on stage. This is the time Shakespeare begins his career in earnest as the pre-eminent playwright of the Elizabethan stage. In episode 4, we explore how the globe theatre and the key actors of the time helped to inspire Shakespeare's work and define the man he would become.   

After a 7-year absence from public record, Shakespeare reappears in London, where he is referenced by a rival dramatist, Robert Greene in his bitter deathbed pamphlet, "A Groats-worth of Witte" gaining the moniker “upstart crow." Shakespeare's early years in London are a fascinating time filled with plays, plagues, and poetry. In episode 3, we explore how this period of time helped that man from Stratford to become the playwright we know and love.

Between the years of 1585- 1592, Shakespeare disappears from public record. With the exception of his twin's baptism in 1585, and a land dispute court document in 1589 there is very little to the man from Stratford's life. These "lost years" are where many of the theories behind the "authorship question" begin. In episode 2, we explore some of those theories, what may have happened in those missing years, and how that period of his life helped shape him into the playwright he would become.

The question surrounding whether or not the man from Stratford-Upon-Avon, known as William Shakespeare, really wrote his plays, or more commonly known as the “authorship question” is a weird one. People will twist themselves into knots to discredit Shakespeare and justify alternative theories. However, if you follow the arc of his life, there is evidence that he is who he is and he did write his plays. In our first episode, we take a look at how Shakespeare's early life laid the groundwork for some of history's greatest playwriting. 

In "Will: What Is He Good For?" we explore the question of authorship. Was that man from Stratford really the man who penned epics like Hamlet and King Lear? Listen to our quick intro to hear more about what we think and why we'll be diving into this issue over the next 6 weeks. 

In this bonus episode of "Will: What is He Good For?", hosts Victoria Gomez Wood and William Downes sit down with Rachel Purcell Fountain, the director of Classics on the Rocks' upcoming summer 2024 production of "The Merry Wives of Windsor." The trio delves into the unique challenges and exciting elements of bringing this beloved Shakespearean comedy to life. Rachel shares her vision for the production and the ways in which modern audiences can connect with the humor and themes of the play. Listen in to learn more and save the date - July 18, 19, and 20th in NYC - to see The Merry Wives of Windsor!

As we get ready to open our summer production of Henry the Fifth, our Artistic Director, William Downes, and Company Manager, Sharon Stevens sit down and quickly chat about the play, the process and 10 years of Classics on the Rocks.