That Shakespeare Life

In Shakespeare’s London, people didn’t just rent houses—they rented clothes. Velvet gowns, silk doublets, and jeweled outfits could be hired to look like nobility for a day. Today’s episode explores the surprising history of clothing rentals in Tudor England. youtu.be/80thfHsLRNA

If seeing the documentation we've shared this week has you interested to learn more, come inside That Shakespeare Society to see the full detailed show notes for this week's show. Click on "That Shakespeare Society" to browse primary documents, archival evidence, and more. www.cassidycash.com/ep412

1612 Bellott v. Mountjoy Deposition: Court record from a London lawsuit where William Shakespeare appears as a witness, revealing he was living with the Mountjoy family on Silver Street at the time. www.cassidycash.com/ep412

1596 Draft Grant of Arms: One of the surviving drafts from the Shakespeare family’s coat of arms application at the College of Arms, recording the design and motto "Non sanz droict"(“Not without right”). www.cassidycash.com/ep412

NEW EPISODE: Joined by historian Susan D. Amussen, we explore the historical records that confirm William Shakespeare as a real working playwright in early modern England. www.cassidycash.com/ep412

Instead of “March 15,” they counted backward from fixed points like the Kalends and the Ides — a system still printed in 16th-century Books of Common Prayer, Latin Bibles, and legal calendars in Shakespeare’s England. www.cassidycash.com/ep411

Caesar wasn’t killed at “the Capitol.” Historically, the assassination happened in the Curia of Pompey — a detail Shakespeare chose to keep unnamed. www.cassidycash.com/ep411

The Ides weren’t originally ominous. In ancient Rome, March 15 was a festive calendar marker tied to the full moon — not a day of doom. www.cassidycash.com/ep405

NEW EPISODE: “Beware the Ides of March.” But what did the Ides actually mean?
Jörg Rüpke is here explore the real history behind March 15 and how Shakespeare transformed an ordinary calendar date into one of history’s most ominous warnings. www.cassidycash.com/ep411

Before chocolates and bouquets, love looked very different.

In Shakespeare’s time, people exchanged rings, tokens, and handmade gifts to show affection. New Saturday episode explores early modern romance. youtu.be/6Y-H4p-EDiU

Made in 1581, this clock was ticking while Shakespeare was alive. Spring-driven, intricate, and prone to drift—early modern time had more features than you might expect. Learn more: www.cassidycash.com/ep410

In Shakespeare’s lifetime, a clock could look like Bacchus in gilded bronze. Renaissance timepieces were art, status, and engineering in one object. Discover how they worked: www.cassidycash.com/ep410

Are you carrying around a fardel? Find out right now on Weird Word Wednesday.

This 1580 astronomical clock didn’t just mark the hour—it tracked zodiac signs, lunar phases, and celestial cycles. Time in Shakespeare’s world was mechanical and cosmic. Explore more: www.cassidycash.com/ep410

NEW EPISODE: Explore the realities of early modern timekeeping in the 16th–17th centuries — from lunar calendars and drifting mechanisms to elite pocket watches and the craftsmen who shaped the rhythm of Shakespeare’s world. www.cassidycash.com/ep410

Chocolate wasn’t a Valentine’s treat in Shakespeare’s time — it was medicine. From bitter drinks to medical debates, new Saturday episode explores how chocolate was first understood in early modern England. youtu.be/3RIitIGx_9M

Large groups could move across early modern Europe with surprising organization — and the same roads, ferries, and hired transport systems supported everyday travelers heading to markets, courts, and fairs. www.cassidycash.com/ep409

This 16th-century scene shows riders passing through a city gate while passengers cross by boat beneath the bridge. Early modern travel wasn’t quiet or isolated — it was layered, regulated, and constantly in motion. www.cassidycash.com/ep409

You may think of "wanton" as something sideways, or even shady. Do you know what it meant for the 16th century? Find out right now on Weird Word Wednesday.

In this Frost Fair scene, wagons roll across the ice where ferries normally carried passengers. In Shakespeare’s England, rivers were highways, and mobility depended as much on weather as on infrastructure. www.cassidycash.com/ep409

NEW EPISODE: Before GPS or Amazon trucks, commuting + deliveries in the 16thC involved several animals & a lot of mud. Despite the lack of modern infrastructure, there was a surprising array of transportation options. Let's explore everyday travel in Shakespeare's England. www.cassidycash.com/ep409

Perfume in Shakespeare’s time wasn’t romantic — it was medicinal.

In a world that feared “bad air,” scent meant survival. New Saturday episode explores why fragrance mattered in Shakespeare’s London. youtu.be/IY8BPNw36IE

Mending and repairing clothes—including shoes—was a normal part of daily life in Shakespeare’s England.

We explore how reuse actually worked in Ep 408 of That Shakespeare Life:
www.cassidycash.com/ep408

Before “fast fashion,” clothes were repaired, altered, and reused—often by women working at home.

We explore the hidden labor behind secondhand clothing in Shakespeare’s world.
🎧 Ep 408: www.cassidycash.com/ep408

Shakespeare used "Prithee" over 200 times in his works. Do you know what it means? Let's find out, right now on #WeirdWordWednesday

Shakespeare’s England had no thrift stores—but it did have peddlers selling secondhand goods straight from baskets and their own arms.

🎧 Secondhand clothing, pawn shops & street trade in Ep 408:
www.cassidycash.com/ep408

NEW EPISODE: Secondhand clothing, pawn shops, and everyday reuse in Shakespeare’s England—with historian Kate Kelsey Staples. @KateKStaples
🎧 www.cassidycash.com/ep408

Did Shakespeare think roses meant love?
Not in the way we do today. 🌹

New Saturday episode explores how roses were really understood in Shakespeare’s world — and why Juliet’s famous line is far more radical than romantic. youtu.be/vp4cnZMzVYM

When Henry Wotton arrived in Venice in 1604, England had not maintained a permanent ambassador there for decades—his post helped re-establish England’s diplomatic presence in one of Europe’s most powerful republics. www.cassidycash.com/ep407

Are you enjoying the images and tidbits about Henry Wotton that I've been sharing here this week? See all the artifacts, documents, and portraits for this week's show inside That Shakespeare Society. Bonus content is live now and there's so much more to explore! www.patreon.com/posts/148721...