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  The complete destruction of one of the most popular playhouses in early modern London was due to a freak accident during a performance of one of Shakespeare’s plays. The Globe had been built on the south side of the Thames out of the pieces of the old Theatre when it was dismantled in 1598. […]Continue reading

  From mid-July to mid-August 1606 Christian IV of Denmark made a state visit to England. In August 1606 a masque titled The Two Kings’ Entertainment was performed at court for two kings: James I and his brother-in-law Christian IV of Denmark. The Danish king was entertained by plays and banquets during his visit to […]Continue reading

  John Aubrey, an antiquary and biographer, wrote a series of short biographies between 1669 and 1696. They were published with the title Brief Lives and are a mixture of speculation, gossipy anecdotes and interesting observations. One of his biographies was based on what gossip he could find out about Shakespeare: I have heard Sir […]Continue reading

Shakespeare may have been inspired by the visit of the Moroccan ambassador to Elizabeth I as he created the ‘noble Moor’ in Othello. The Moroccan king’s ambassador, Abd al-Wahid bin Messaoud bin Mohammed al-Annuri, and his party arrived in Dover on this day in 1600. They travelled to the queen’s court in London and stayed […]Continue reading

  John Shakespeare was buried in Stratford-upon-Avon on 8 September 1601 after becoming an influential and important member of the town. He had moved to Stratford-upon-Avon with his wife, Mary, in 1551. He worked as a glover and become a well-known member of the Stratford town council. When his eldest son William was four years […]Continue reading