Simon Schama's Shakespeare
Simon Schama explores the life and times of William Shakespeare to shed a new and fascinating light on some of the greatest plays ever written. He asks the question: "What came first, Englishness, or Shakespeare's idea of it?" and produces a persuasive argument in favour of the latter.
Cast: Simon Schama, Harriet Walter, Peter de Jersey
HDCC
Miniseries
2 episodes
1. This EnglandSchama explores how, in his history plays, Shakespeare created a vision of England that still rings true today. Against the backdrop of the Reformation, Shakespeare began to dramatize English history and the English character in a new and unprecedented way. From his first blockbuster, Henry VI, he made sure that his England was not just a place where King and Queens strutted and preened, but where ordinary Englishmen and women took centre stage.CC1 h 0 minJun 22, 2012
2. Hollow CrownsSimon Schama explores Shakespeare’s attitude to the other great subject of his day - Kingship. He asks how far Shakespeare’s most profound tragedies, including Richard II, Hamlet, Macbeth and King Lear, were inspired by his own experience of writing for the courts of Elizabeth and James I.CC1 h 0 minJun 29, 2012
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Simon Schama's Shakespeare
★ 10.0/1020121 season2 episodesEnded
Simon Schama explores the life and times of William Shakespeare to shed a new and fascinating light on some of the greatest plays ever written. He asks the question: "What came first, Englishness, or Shakespeare's idea of it?" and produces a persuasive argument in favour of the latter.
Creators and cast
- Directors
- Ashley Gething
- Created by
- Simon Schama
- Cast
- Simon Schama, Harriet Walter, Peter de Jersey, Simon Russell Beale, Tobias Menzies, Andrew Scott
- Studio
- Oxford Films, BBC
Maturity rating
Not yet rated.
Audio languages
English
