London Revisited: Shakespeare’s City
About this episode
This episode discusses the cultural and historical significance of London during the Elizabethan era, particularly through the lens of Shakespeare's works and the city's innovations.
When Thomas Platter, a Swiss tourist, went to see ‘Julius Caesar’ at the Globe Theatre in 1599, it wasn’t Shakespeare’s language that attracted his attention but the ready availability of refreshments and the high quality of the players’ clothes. The revolution in playmaking that he witnessed on the south bank of the Thames reflected widespread innovations in London’s cultural life in the reign of Elizabeth I. For the first time, we can see the city clearly, in the panoramas and maps inspired by Dutch artists. New ideas about history are emerging in the works of Stow and Holinshed. And the growth of trade through piracy, with a new centre of commerce in Thomas Gresham’s Royal Exchange, marks the beginning of England's imperial expansion. In this episode, Rosemary is joined again by Vanessa Harding to discuss this extraordinary moment in London’s history and some of the reasons behind it, from Elizabeth’s genius for survival to the city’s lack of a university. Reading by Duncan Wilkins Non-subscribers will only hear an extract from this episode. To listen in full, and to all our other Close Readings series, sign up: Apple Podcasts: https://lrb.me/applesignuplr Other podcast…
People in this episode
Host: Rosemary
Guest: Vanessa Harding
Topics covered
- Shakespeare
- Elizabethan London
- Cultural history
- Theatre
- Trade and commerce
- Imperial expansion
Keywords
- Shakespeare
- Julius Caesar
- Elizabeth I
- London history
- Theatre
- Cultural innovations
- Trade
- Royal Exchange
- Thomas Platter
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Globe Theatre, Thomas Gresham’s Royal Exchange, London Review of Books
Books & works: Julius Caesar
Places: London
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