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I’ve never been a big Shakespeare fan, but that may need to change. It seems the Bard of Avon may be the world’s first libertarian. Some of you are probably shaking your heads and saying that this is wrong, that Thomas Jefferson or Adam Smith are more deserving of this honor.Others would argue we should go back even earlier in time and give that title to John Locke.But based on some new research reported in Tax-news.com, Shakespeare preceded them all.Uncertainty over the likely future success of his plays led William Shakespeare to do “all he could to avoid taxes,” new...

A facial reconstruction based on the skull of Richard III has revealed how the English king may have looked. The king's skeleton was found under a car park in Leicester during an archaeological dig. The reconstructed face has a slightly arched nose and prominent chin, similar to features shown in portraits of Richard III painted after his death. Historian and author John Ashdown-Hill said seeing it was "almost like being face to face with a real person". The development comes after archaeologists from the University of Leicester confirmed the skeleton found last year was the 15th Century king's, with DNA...

Search for infamous monarch’s remains is the latest in the rush to dig up the dead and famousFor centuries, William Shakespeare seemed to have the last word. His Richard III glowered and leered from the stage, a monster in human form and a character so repugnant "that dogs bark at me as I halt by them." In Shakespeare's famous play, the hunchbacked king claws his way to the throne and methodically murders most of his immediate family—his wife, older brother, and two young nephews—until he suffers defeat and death on the battlefield at the hands of a young Tudor hero,...

Archeologists at the University of Leicester in central England say they have discovered a human skeleton with battle wounds and a curved spine that could be the remains of King Richard III.

(Reuters) - Archaeologists searching for the body of England's King Richard III under a city centre parking lot said on Wednesday they had found remains which could be those of the monarch depicted by Shakespeare as an evil, deformed, child-murdering monster.

The true site of one of the most decisive battles in English history has been revealed. Bosworth, fought in 1485, which saw the death of Richard III, was believed to have taken place on Ambion Hill, near Sutton Cheney in Leicestershire. But a study of original documents and archaeological survey of the area has now pinpointed a site in fields more than a mile to the south west. A new trail will lead from the current visitor centre to the new location... The traditional site has a flag at the crest of the hill, a stone to mark the spot...

Until it was discovered beneath a city parking lot last fall, the skeleton had lain unmarked, and unmourned, for more than 500 years. Friars fearful of the men who slew him... --snip-- Dr. King said tests conducted at three laboratories in England and France had found that the descendants’ mitochondrial DNA, a genetic element inherited through the maternal line of descent, matched that extracted from the parking lot skeleton. She said all three samples belonged to a type of mitochondrial DNA that is carried by only 1 to 2 percent of the English population, a rare enough group to satisfy...

The skeleton showing curvature of the spine (scoliosis) consistent with historical accounts © University of LeicesterThe mortal remains of England's warrior king Richard III have been found, bringing to a close a mystery that has puzzled scholars for centuries. Analytical tests on a skeleton found under a Leicester car park have confirmed the last resting place of the final king in the Plantagenet line.The announcement comes after months of feverish speculation. In September 2012, the University of Leicester announced that its detective work combing ancient texts had led its team to conclude that the King was buried at Greyfriars Monastery...

The body of a man killed in battle found beneath a social services office car park in Leicester is that of Richard III, DNA analysis confirmed today. Dr Turi King of the University of Leicester said that there was a DNA match between the maternal line of a descendant of the family of Richard III and the remains found beneath Grey Friars car park. Lead researcher Dr Richard Buckley added: 'It is the academic conclusion of the University of Leicester that beyond reasonable doubt the remains found in Leicester are that of Richard III, the last Plantagenet king of England.'...

You thought there couldn’t be a law and religion angle to today’s news—fascinating for us history nerds—that archaeologists have discovered the mortal remains of Richard III beneath a parking lot in Leicester? Think again. Plans are underway to re-inter the bones in the city’s Anglican Cathedral. Not so fast, say some: the hunchback king wasn’t a Protestant, but a Catholic, and he requires a Catholic burial. In fact, as Shakespeare fans know, Richard died at Bosworth Field (“A horse! A horse! My kingdom for a horse!”), defending his throne from Henry Tudor. Henry went on to reign as Henry VII;...

A facial reconstruction based on the skull of Richard III has revealed how the English king may have looked. A skeleton found under a car park in Leicester has been confirmed as that of the king. The reconstructed face has a slightly arched nose and prominent chin, similar to features shown in portraits of Richard III painted after his death. Historian and author John Ashdown-Hill said seeing it was "almost like being face to face with a real person". The development comes after archaeologists from the University of Leicester confirmed the skeleton found last year was the 15th Century king's,...

Laurence Olivier, whose interpretations of Shakespeare's signature roles were often considered definitive, adapted several of those roles for film. He wrote and directed widely praised versions of Hamlet, Henry V and Richard III. Olivier hoped to bring a fourth Shakespeare play to the big screen: Macbeth. The great actor and director wrote the screenplay, but couldn't raise the money to make the film. The screenplay was soon forgotten and thought lost — until recently. Jennifer Barnes, a university lecturer from the U.K., found Olivier's adaptations at the British Library. Barnes spoke with NPR's Scott Simon about her unexpected discovery, and...

<p>He wore the English crown, but he ended up defeated, humiliated and reviled.</p> <p>Now things are looking up for King Richard III. Scientists announced Monday that they had found the monarch's 528-year-old remains under a parking lot in the city of Leicester—a discovery that will move him from a pauper's grave to a royal tomb and that fans say could potentially restore the reputation of a much-maligned king. "We could end up rewriting a little bit of history in a big way," said Lin Foxhall, head of the school of archaeology at the University of Leicester, which conducted the research. On Monday the researchers announced that tests on a battle-scarred skeleton unearthed in the central England city last year prove "beyond reasonable doubt" that it is the king, who died at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485, and whose remains have been missing for centuries. "Richard III, the last Plantagenet King of England, has been found," said the university's deputy registrar, Richard Taylor, describing the find as "truly astonishing."</p>

LEICESTER, England (AP) - He wore the English crown, but he ended up defeated, humiliated and reviled. Now things are looking up for King Richard III. Scientists announced Monday that they had found the monarch's 528-year-old remains under a parking lot in the city of Leicester - a discovery that will move him from a pauper's grave to a royal tomb and that fans say could potentially restore the reputation of a much-maligned king.

He wore the English crown, but he ended up defeated, humiliated and reviled. Now things are looking up for King Richard III. Scientists announced Monday that they had found the monarch's 500-year-old remains under a parking lot in the city of Leicester -- a discovery Richard's fans say will inspire new research into his maligned history. University of Leicester researchers say tests on a battle-scarred skeleton unearthed last year prove "beyond reasonable doubt" that it is the king, who died at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485, and whose remains have been missing for centuries. "Richard III, the last...

For Super Bowl Sunday, what could be a more macho alternative for those who don't have a dog in the fight so to speak than a classic western starring Hollywood's greatest he-man John Wayne? The Duke plays a tough cattle baron named George Washington "G.W." McLintock while his frequent leading lady, the lovely Maureen O'Hara plays his tempestuous red headed wife in this wild, wild west take on William Shakespeare's "Taming of the Shrew". Definitely not a film for the PC/socialist/feminazi crowd but quite fun for those who are pro-capitalism, pro-freedom and pro-strong male leader. It's also fun to see...

LONDON - Archaeologists will reveal next week whether a skeleton with a cleaved skull and a curved spine entombed under a municipal parking lot is that of Richard III, the last English king to die in battle, more than five centuries ago. The grey, concrete parking lot with its red-brick walls and a payment hut in Leicester, central England, contrasts sharply with the grandeur of traditional sepulchres for English kings and queens such as Windsor Castle and Westminster Abbey. The defeated Richard’s lost grave has proved to be as elusive as the reputation of the monarch, portrayed by Shakespeare as...

The works of Shakespeare and Wordsworth are "rocket-boosters" to the brain and better therapy than self-help books, researchers have claimed. Scientists, psychologists and English academics at Liverpool University have found that reading the works of the Bard and other classical writers has a beneficial effect on the mind, catches the reader's attention and triggers moments of self-reflection, the Telegraph reported. Using scanners, they monitored the brain activity of volunteers as they read works by William ShakespeareWilliam Wordsworth, T.S Eliot and others. They then "translated" the texts into more "straightforward", modern language and again monitored the readers' brains as they read...

The background Archeologists from Leicester University have uncovered an intact skeleton which they believe is that of Richard III, the king whose reputation as a ruthless hunchback comes from William Shakespeare’s play. The skeleton has a deformed spine, and is at the site of Grey Friars church, where Richard was thought to have been buried after the Battle of Bosworth in 1485, where he was defeated by Henry Tudor. His grave is now underneath a council car park in Leicester. DNA tests will reveal whether he’s really the king or not – it’s an adult male, with spinal abnormalities that...

Portrait of Shakespeare unveiled The portrait of Shakespeare has attracted attention A portrait of William Shakespeare thought to be the only picture made of him during his lifetime has been unveiled in Warwickshire. The painting is on show at The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, Stratford-upon-Avon, to celebrate the playwright's birthday on 23 April. The trust said it was convinced the artwork, thought to date back to 1610, was an authentic portrait. But some critics have gone on record to say the picture is not of Shakespeare. The painting, known as the Cobbe portrait, was inherited by art restorer Alec Cobbe and...

Was Shakespeare A Secret Catholic? The Evidence Is Mounting… By Oliver Marre December 22nd, 2009 The Venerable English College in Rome has found documents which may suggest that Shakespeare was a secret Catholic who spent some years in the city. It’s only conjecture – but the news will certainly excite the large number of people who believe that the Bard was a Papist. Clare Asquith has written a compelling and brilliantly researched book which argues the same point from textual and historical analysis of the plays. Shadowplay is a great read for anyone interested in Shakespeare, in the religious wars...

The mystery surrounding Lord Brooke Fulke Greville and William Shakespeare is creating huge interest around the World,with many people questioning if William Shakespeare really was the poet Fulke Greville or at the very least Shakespeares Master.

I am so excited about the plan to open Fulke Greville's tomb in St Mary's Church in Warwick. I have been a doubter about Shakespeare for years and I believe that Mary Herbert, the Countess of Pembroke was the leader of a group of writers that produced the works of Shakespeare at her beautiful home Wilton House. A lot of people, including me are so interested in this latest developement because Mary and Fulke Greville were lovers and both wrote plays about Anthony and Cleopatra. You can find out about her at http://www.marysidney.com

1 "There is method to my madness." 2 "Love is strong as death." 3 "In the twinkling of an eye." 4 "A plague on both your houses." 5 "Gave up the ghost." 6 "We turn not older with years, but newer every day." 7 "The wisdom of Solomon." 8 "As pure as the driven snow." 9 "Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt." 10 "O ye of little faith." 11 "A cloud of witnesses." 12 "If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything." 13 "In the end,...

The young nation of South Sudan has chosen English as its official language but after decades of civil war, the widespread learning of English presents a big challenge for a country brought up speaking a form of Arabic.I knew there might be problems as soon as I arrived at Juba International airport - and was asked to fill in my own visa form, as the immigration officer could not write English. The colourful banners and billboards hung out to celebrate South Sudan's independence back in July, and still adorning the streets now, are all in English. As are the names...

Doctors should read up on Shakespeare, according to an unusual medical study that says the Bard was exceptionally skilled at spotting psychosomatic symptoms. Kenneth Heaton, a doctor at the University of Bristol in western England, trawled through all 42 of Shakespeare's major works and 46 genre-matched works by contemporaries.

Impressionist does shakespeare in celebrity voices

If you’re reading this, you’ve likely filed your 2011 income tax return or maybe you’re taking a break from hours spent deciphering the tax code to file an individual tax return before the April 17 deadline. Either way you’re one of the millions of Americans who are struggling to comply with a complicated tax system that wastes working hours and hard earned dollars. By both IRS and Forbes’ estimates, Americans spend billions of hours complying with federal tax law; a number that is likely higher if we include state compliance costs. The same report concluded that the average taxpayer spends...

To be or not to be on a plane from Iraq to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival this midsummer -- that is the $30,000 question. Proving that the whole world truly is a stage, a Bay Area-educated English and drama professor has assembled a college troupe of Shakespearean actors in Sulaimaniyah, Iraq, that has been invited to perform at the showcase for all things Bard in Ashland, Ore. But as Oregon is many leagues from Iraq, and it costs numerous ducats to fly there, the professor is seeking the public's help to raise the money to transport 10 Iraqi Othellos, Hamlets...

Janet Suzman 'mad as a snake' over Rylance and Shakespeare 'myths'

Archaeologists may have solved the puzzle of where the English king Richard III, immortalized by Shakespeare in his play is buried as they have started digging a car park in Leicester for his lost remains. The University of Leicester, Leicester City Council and the Richard III Society have joined forces to search for the grave of Richard III, thought to be under a parking lot for city council offices. The team will use ground-penetrating radar to search for the ideal spots to dig. "This archaeological work offers a golden opportunity to learn more about medieval Leicester as well as about...

Archaeologists in London have discovered the remains of an Elizabethan theater where some of William Shakespeare’s plays were first performed — a venue immortalized as “this wooden O’’ in the prologue to “Henry V.’’ Experts from the Museum of London said Wednesday they had uncovered part of the gravel yard and gallery walls of the 435-year-old Curtain Theatre in Shoreditch, just east of London’s business district. The remains — of a polygonal structure, typical of 16th-century theaters — were found behind a pub on a site marked for redevelopment.

Old men forget; yet all shall be forgot, But he’ll remember with advantages What feats he did that day: then shall our names Familiar in his mouth as household words Harry the king, Bedford and Exeter, Warwick and Talbot, Salisbury and Gloucester, Be in their flowing cups freshly remember’d, This story shall the good man teach his son; And Crispin Crispian shall ne’er go by, From this day to the ending of the world, But we in it shall be remembered; We few, we happy few, we band of brothers; For he today that sheds his blood with me Shall...

Yes, the troops in Afghanistan have been inspired or at least lectured, by a vainglorious president, a man of little note and record, President Obama. In a speech hailed by Obama's most outspoken sycophant and pimp, Chris Mathews, as being reminiscent of Henry V's address to his troops on the eve of a critical battle, in which they faced almost certain annihilation at Agincourt, France. [VIDEO AT SITE] Chris Mathews, "I imagine being a soldier over there -- this is what you want to hear." It was right out of Henry V actually, a touch of Barry, in this case,...

To be or not to be. That is normally the question. But in this case the letter 'a' appears to have caused all the problems. Clothing giant Topshop failed to spot that William Shakespeare's name was spelt incorrectly on a £20 T-shirt it was marketing. The women's fashion item went on sale online and at stores across the UK printed with the misspelling 'Shakespere'. Shoppers were quick to spot the blunder, and slammed Topshop and design company Tee and Cake, which produced the item, for the mistake. Shoppers were quick to spot the blunder, and slammed Topshop and design company...

So what is new to justify Sally Bedell Smith's massive "Elizabeth the Queen"? What is left to uncover, and what should be left uncovered and unknown in the life of this exemplary lady whose predetermined existence of regal obligation is yawningly unenviable, however bejeweled the box it comes in? (Snip) ... an American acquaintance says the queen collects pepper grinders. And sometimes it's about the queen's own words on her ancient calling in the 21st century. With characteristic briskness, she told her cousin Margaret Rhodes that her sanctified role means no retirement until death, "unless I get Alzheimer's or have...

Shakespeare Theatre’s ‘Much Ado’ Raises Question of Latino Stereotypes By Peter Marks December 19 Reversing a decision that had enraged Latino playwrights, directors and others, the Shakespeare Theatre Company has taken the unusual step of restoring in mid-run the original names of two characters that had been changed for its Cuban-set production of “Much Ado About Nothing.” As a result, the programs for the show will be altered as of Thursday to include the names Shakespeare had given to the two minor characters, Hugh Oatcake and George Seacoal. For the first few weeks of the run, which began Nov. 25,...

The Rev. John Becker, S.J., sat at the front of the classroom, paperback in hand, glasses pushed to the end of his nose. As he spoke, he looked intently from one student to another. “This semester, I am going to teach you how to read 'King Lear,'” he said. “It may be Shakespeare’s most difficult play. But it has a powerful message to tell.” When we were done reading “Lear,” the priest promised, we would not only understand it, but we would have learned the secret of understanding any thing written in English -- anything, that is, with a meaning...

Body-conscious Shakespeare: Sensory disturbances in troubled charactersShakespeare was a master at portraying profound emotional upset in the physical symptoms of his characters, and many modern day doctors would do well to study the Bard to better understand the mind-body connection, concludes an analysis of his works, published in Medical Humanities. Kenneth Heaton, a medical doctor and extensively published author on William Shakespeare's oeuvre, systematically analysed 42 of the author's major works and 46 of those of his contemporaries, looking for evidence of psychosomatic symptoms. He focused on sensory symptoms other than those relating to sight, taste, the heart, and the...

The NCPA's Western classic drama series will present Moliere's The Imaginary Invalid by French theater Comedie-Francaise, and an international co-production of Shakespeare's Richard III. Mu Qian reports. Oscar-winning artists, classic plays and some of the world's most established theater groups will be featured in the Western classic drama series of the National Center for the Performing Arts (NCPA). The first two works of the series, French state theater Comedie-Francaise's performance of Moliere's The Imaginary Invalid, and an international co-production of Shakespeare's Richard III, starring Kevin Spacey, will be staged at the center from Oct 27 to Nov 13. "This will...

As a self-proclaimed loser word nerd, my absolute favorite class in college was Shakespeare. Regardless if the dude even existed or not, I feel intimidated writing about him using my own pathetically limited vocabulary, as I am that enthralled and marveled by his English language skillz (sorry, Will). That's why I was so stoked to see the newest Tumblr hit sweeping the Internet world: "Things We Say Today Which We Owe to Shakespeare." There are so many things! I remember reading through his plays late at night for class, coming across phrases and sayings and having the light bulb in...

A South African anthropologist has asked permission to open the graves of William Shakespeare and his family to determine, among other things, what killed the Bard and whether his poems and plays may have been composed under the influence of marijuana. But while Shakespeare's skeleton could reveal clues about his health and death, the question of the man's drug use depends on the presence of hair, fingernails or toenails in the grave, said Francis Thackeray, the director of the Institute for Human Evolution at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, who floated the proposal to the Church of England. Thackeray...

William Shakespeare was probably a Catholic, according to the Archbishop of Canterbury, who discussed spirituality and secularism in the Bard’s plays with the actor Simon Russell Beale.Little is known of Shakespeare’s life and there is no direct evidence of his religious affiliation, but Dr Rowan Williams said he believed him to be a Catholic. “I don’t think it tells us a great deal, to settle whether he was a Catholic or a Protestant, but for what it’s worth I think he probably had a Catholic background and a lot of Catholic friends and associates. “How much he believed in it,...

Reading lists for middle school and high school students routinely include Shakespearean plays, but most teens find themselves struggling to translate the plays into language they can understand. However, from day one back in October, Mrs. Mary Raithel assured the St. Alphonsus Liguori middle school students that they would not have to read Macbeth. They would be learning by performing Macbeth. And so they did, as the entire St. Alphonsus Middle School staged their outstanding performances of Scenes from Macbeth on Wednesday, January 26, for an audience of nearly 150 proud parents, family members and guests. Eight scenes from this...

LOS ANGELES — A notorious criminal case that waited 400 years to go before a jury resulted in no definite answer to the question of whether the defendant — Hamlet Prince of Denmark — was sane when he committed murder.

Sir Derek Jacobi is wrong to think that Shakespeare could not have written his own plays; the greatest poet and dramatist of all times was an Englishman and a CatholicThe actor Sir Derek Jacobi is currently acting the part of King Lear to great critical acclaim at the Donmar Warehouse. I must get to see it before the production closes just to see if he gets my personal imprimatur or not. But there is one matter on which I cannot agree with Sir Derek: the authorship of Shakespeare’s plays. Apparently the knighted thespian takes a benighted view on this one:...

Enter the KING WESTMORELAND. O that we now had here But one ten thousand of those men in England That do no work to-day! KING. What's he that wishes so? My cousin Westmoreland? No, my fair cousin; If we are mark'd to die, we are enow To do our country loss; and if to live, The fewer men, the greater share of honour. God's will! I pray thee, wish not one man more. By Jove, I am not covetous for gold, Nor care I who doth feed upon my cost; It yearns me not if men my garments wear; Such...

Our former NR colleague, Joe Sobran, passed away today after a long battle with a variety of ailments. He was relatively young, just 64, and while physically beaten at the end, he also departed spiritually triumphant.   Surely, in short order, there will be ample reflection — much of it critical — on the hyper-talented, hyper-controversial writer. There will be a recounting of his history at NR, the break, the following years, and Joe’s soured relationship with WFB (happily, they rekindled their friendship before Bill passed away). Good, let’s discuss all that, and more. But later. Right now, let us,...

Following a London West End run in December 2007, a sold-out limited engagement at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in March 2008, and a subsequent eight-week run on Broadway, director Rupert Goold’s gripping stage production of Macbeth was filmed for television at the end of 2009. The co-production between WNET.ORG and Illuminations Television, in association with the BBC, stars Sir Patrick Stewart in his triumphant, Tony-nominated performance as the ambitious general, and Tony-nominated Kate Fleetwood as his coldly scheming wife. The production, though retaining the Goold’s exciting concept of relocating the bloody action to a nameless 20th-century militaristic society, has...

ARLINGTON, Va.- In the United States, where many people can't speak English properly, a Washington acting troupe says it will perform Shakespeare in Klingon. During its annual benefit Sept. 25, the Washington Shakespeare Company in Arlington, Va., will perform selections from "Hamlet" and "Much Ado About Nothing" in both English and the language invented for Klingon characters of the Star Trek films, The Washington Post reported Sunday. The effort was inspired by a line spoken by English actor David Warner in "Star Trek VI," in which his Klingon character declares, "You have not experienced Shakespeare until you have read him...