Religion
The ferment in the country and King James's insistence on an oath of allegiance brings religious tensions to the fore in 1606.
by James Shapiro
Episode Four : Religion
The ferment in the country and King James' insistence on an Oath of Allegiance brings religious tensions to the fore in 1606. Anyone refusing to take communion (and therefore presumed to be Catholic) was fined. These matters come very close to William Shakespeare when a member of his family refuses communion in Stratford Upon Avon.
Ten years ago James Shapiro won the Samuel Johnson Prize for his bestseller 1599: A YEAR IN THE LIFE OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE.
1606: WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE AND THE YEAR OF LEAR is a compelling look at a no less extraordinary year in his life. The book traces Shakespeare's life and times from the autumn of 1605, when he took an old and anonymous Elizabethan play, THE CHRONICLE HISTORY OF KING LEIR, and transformed it into his most searing tragedy, KING LEAR.
1606 proved to be an especially grim year for England, witnessing the bloody aftermath of the Gunpowder Plot, divisions over the Union of England and Scotland, and an outbreak of plague. But it turned out to be an exceptional one for Shakespeare who, before the year was out, went on to complete two other great Jacobean tragedies that spoke directly to these fraught times: MACBETH and ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA.
Abridged by Anna Magnusson
Read by Ian McDiarmid
Produced by Gaynor Macfarlane.
Last on
Credits
| Role | Contributor |
|---|---|
| Reader | Ian McDiarmid |
| Author | James Shapiro |
| Abridger | Anna Magnusson |
| Producer | Gaynor Macfarlane |
Broadcasts
- Thu 15 Oct 2015 09:45大象传媒 Radio 4 FM
- Fri 16 Oct 2015 00:30大象传媒 Radio 4
Listen to more Audio Books
Including My Sister The Serial Killer, Queenie, The Flatshare and more.
Opening Lines
John Yorke unpacks the themes behind the stories in Radio 4's weekend afternoon dramas.
Sample our books and authors Clip Collection
Interviews, previews and reviews
Subscribe to the Short stories podcast
Featuring the best stories from the UK's finest writers
How many of these 100 Novels have you read?
After a passionate debate, our panel has come up with this surprising literary selection.
Finding Your Story
Ten remarkable novels about identity: Which one will help you discover yourself?
大象传媒 Arts: Books
Celebrating reading and the 100 novels that have shaped our world.