“Read him, therefore; and again, and again: and if you do not like him, surely you are in some manifest danger, not to understand him.” So write the compilers of Shakespeare’s First Folio, a collection of his plays published 400 years ago, in their preface to the work. And it’s safe to say that he has been read again and again in the centuries since. But while his literary merits are widely exhorted, for historians the plays also provide fascinating insights into Shakespeare’s world and worldviews. In our feature on page 22, we’ve asked eight experts to reflect on the themes that emerge from eight of his works – from love and death to politics and racism.
One man who certainly didn’t benefit from Shakespeare’s quill is Richard III, one of the playwright’s greatest monsters. In Richard III he is responsible for the murder of the princes in the Tower and many historians believe that this was indeed the case – but a lack of clear evidence means this remains something of a mystery. Now, Philippa Langley, famous for her work in discovering Richard’s remains, has published a book exonerating Richard and we spoke to her for this month’s author interview. That’s on page 66 and I expect we’ll have a full postbag in response.
Murder is also the theme of this month’s cover feature, which ties in with a new series of Radio 4’s Lady Killers with Lucy Worsley. Beginning on page 57, the series’ consultant, Rosalind Crone, examines six murders from the 19th century that offer a window into women’s lives and the societies that shaped them.