Shakespeare Full Circle: Recent Episodes
WGTE Public Media
Touchstone Award Winner - Best Podcast 2023, Best Podcast 2022 An award-winning weekly series that explores Shakespeare's dramatically rich sonnets and how they remain relevant today. Shakespeare Full Circle is supported in part by The Cowie Family Charitable Trust.
Well, here we are. We have come to the end of our tenth series - but, before we drop the curtain and dim the lights on the stage of series ten, one shimmering word of William's we have yet to explore.
Today we turn our gaze - perhaps squintingly slightly - toward a word that is practically aglow with charm and elegance.
Today we delve into the charmingly defective, the elegantly botched, the gloriously sub-optimal, and the perfectly imperfect.
Now what could we possibly be chewing over today? What topic might we be mulling, brooding, gnawing, fretting, marinating, percolating, or mentally chewing upon, like a philosophical goat with a "penchant" for Latin?
Take a deep breath... that's it... now, imagine yourself on a warm night in Venice: the stars are shining... and a gentle breeze...
Education is a funny thing. It, like many things, swings in and out of favor. Across history, we see the thirst for knowledge and the enervation of intelligence during the Enlightenment; the Victorian era, and the post World War Two period of peace and prosperity.
Today, the story of a feeble King, who vainly attempts to rule his realm while his courtiers indulge in a "Game of Murderous Musical Thrones."
Today, we travel to the Venetian waterways, for a dark comedy in which love, law, and latent anti-semitism swirl together in a morally complex tale that leaves us wondering who the real merchants - and villains - of Venice truly are.
Today we travel into the realm of King John - perhaps one of Uncle Will's lesser-loved historical romps.
Today, as set off on our little literary journey together, I am put in mind of one of the most famous poems of the twentieth century...
Today we are going to explore one of William's bread-and-butter words. A word that has turned up in only three of his plays, but I think it's safe to say that the theme it carries with it is pretty much omnipresent in most of his works in one way or another.
One thing I love about Uncle Will – well, actually one of many things, is that his works are full of wicked wordplay...
Now, I know that you tune in for our weekly five minute journey into the rich, sometimes baffling - but always fascinating world of William's words.
This morning we pack our bags and head to the Mediterranean island of Sicily. Specifically, the harbor city of Messina.
It is in William's tragic tale of King Lear that hearts are not simply broken; allegiances severed or affinities dissolved. Much like Hamlet describing the very essence of time being "out of joint" - we find the first usage of the word... dislocate.
Today we will not be talking about an American schoolboy named Johnny, that got himself a guitar and became a rock and roll star. But rather, an English monarch who manages to mistake flowery speeches for effective governance.
Today we have before us a task: a single word created by William, used five times in three plays across some sixteen years of writing.
Today we embark on a very important journey. In this age of mis- and dis- information; deeply solidified opinions based on hearsay and hope; armchair internet philosophers and W W DOT DOLTS - we are going to dispel a widespread misnomer.
Today we travel once again back to ancient Rome, for a tale of ridiculous wealth, hyperbolic flattery, and brazen social climbing so relentless that we come to realize that being surrounded by sycophants really isn't all it's "caked" up to be... I mean "cracked" up to be.
It's always a good thing to keep oneself in check, making sure not to over-estimate our abilities and get a little too big for our "britches" (or "boots" for our U.K. listeners).
Today we undertake the arduous journey into the regicidinal realm of Uncle Will's tale of Scottish witchcraft, ghosts, and marching forests.
Today we take a rough, twisted, and knobbly journey into Uncle Will's tale of power, hypocrisy, and moral dilemmas.
Comfortable? Gratified? Pleased and satisfied? Well, good. One can think about being content in many different circumstances.
Today, Uncle Will's been caught stealing. Well, not really stealing. More, borrowing, I suppose.
Tell you what we're going to do today. We're going to talk about Shakespeare. Now wait — before you roll your eyes — I'll make you a deal...
It was here in the damp Isle (and bits of rural France) where Uncle Will first chilled his quill with the words "Cold-Blooded."
Today we travel to the wind-blown Scottish Highlands for a tale of treachery, prophecy, and regicide — with an extra shake of paranoia to flavor the cautionary cauldron of calamity that is Uncle Will's tale of... Macbeth.
You look a bit tired (not that I'm judging, mind you). I mean, in today's day and age we can all be overwhelmed by people, work, and devices that vie for our attention.
Today we are not exactly heading to court, but we will definitely be court-adjacent as we jump into William's tale of King Richard II.
Today we take an imaginary trip to the Medieval basque Kingdom of Navarre in Northern Spain.
As we continue our foray into the specific words conjured into existence by William, I have to ask, "Is everything alright?"
As we begin our eighth series, we focus again on some of the memorable words invented by Uncle Will. This week: madcap.
Today, Uncle Will is writing once again to the fair youth - seeming to come after a rather protracted time away from London.
Today Uncle Will is hungry... and full... and hungry again, so appetites are on the menu.
Today, Uncle Will is setting himself apart, as he puts quill to parchment once again to praise the fair youth.
Today, Uncle Will gives us a bit of a challenge. Or at least I found the language a bit challenging when I first came across his 84th sonnet.
Today, the object of Uncle Will's affections seems to have come to the attention of a rival poet, and William is feeling a tad bit insecure.
Today, Uncle Will seems to be blaming his inability to speak his love on his lack of self-confidence.
Today we look at the companion piece to Uncle Will's 44th sonnet. No prizes for knowing that this is number 45.
Today, Uncle Will is missing his love again. Gone from him is she (or he) and William begins to imagine being able to cross the distance that separates them — if only he were unencumbered by his corporeal body.
Today Uncle Will is... a bit maudlin. Where a great number of his sonnets deal with the passage of time; unrequited love; aging and procreation, in his 71st sonnet he casts his thoughts to a world - after he's gone.
Today, Uncle Will is in a rather peculiar mood. What has prompted him to sit and pen his 141st sonnet we can only speculate.
In today's sonnet, Uncle Will continues his obsession with time's relentless war with beauty.
Today Uncle Will turns his thoughts to the unceasing passage of time. The destruction of monuments, either through time's decay, or man's brutal war-like behavior. And, very poignantly, a kind of sadness, about what that means for the permanence of love.
Today Uncle Will is looking back over a relationship: fondly, at first, but something has gone awry.
Today Uncle Will seems intent on handing out some advice to his fair youth. It's not entirely clear what incident has brought on this stern little talking-to, but it is clear that William is none too happy about whatever it is.
Today Uncle Will concerns himself with legacy; time-spanning monuments; immortality — but not for himself, but rather (of course) the object of his affection.
Today finds Uncle Will in a comparative mood, and apparently, his mistress' eyes are actually nothing like the sun at all.
Today, Uncle Will is in a bit of state - a fitful, desperate midnight musing from deep within his heart.
Today we find Uncle Will struggling with an affair of the heart... that he is in part responsible for.
Today Uncle Will turns his attention back to his fair youth, and his relentless advice to him to metaphorically put on his baking hat and get a bun in the oven.
Today Uncle Will takes a closer look at beauty, deception and transformation with his "Dark Lady"...
Today we find Uncle Will in a melancholy mood as he thinks back over some of the regrets in his life.
Today Uncle Will turns his attentions to matters of the "L-Word'" ...Not Love, exactly, but somewhere a bit lower.
Today we find Uncle Will in a rather reflective mood as he turns his quill to the very nature of Love in sonnet 116.
Today we find Uncle Will absolutely exhausted and looking forward to a good night's sleep...until his mind begins to wander...
Today Uncle Will is in a thoughtful mood in the first of his sonnets, talking about Beauty, Responsibility, & The Birds & The Bees.
In this episode we find Uncle William rather smitten as he pens his most famous Sonnet 18, "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?"
As we enter a new series of episodes, host Qarie Marshall takes us on an in-depth journey through the dramatically rich sonnets of Uncle Will. We begin with Shakespeare's dark poem of self-pity brightened by memories of love: Sonnet 29.
In Today's final episode in our 4th series, we don the greasepaint & tread the boards for a look at how we now see the world a little differently. "All the world's a Stage," after all.
In today's penultimate episode in our 4th series, we travel through no less than six of Uncle Will's plays to find the origin of "Fair Play" & "Foul Play".
Today we set upon the stubbonly-stuck and the irritatingly-inured to find out the origin of those not willing to "Budge An Inch."
In this episode we travel deep into the forest of Arden to see who has "Seen Better Days," and why...
Today we travel back to Roman occupied Britain, for a tale of young love, evil innuendo & insomnia to find the phrase, "Not Slept One Wink."
Join us for a journey that is not for the "faint hearted;" a bloody tale that gave rise to the War of The Roses.
Today we continue our journey with Uncle Will, so "for goodness sake," tune in and we'll talk about one of England's most notorious monarchs.
Today we travel to the Kingdom of Navarre for a look into the bare, unadorned majesty of... "The Naked Truth."
Today we travel to the magical land of Illyria, where, after a shipwreck, we get pulled "Out of the Jaws Of Death."
Today we travel to Denmark to uncover the origins of the phrase Brevity is the Soul of Wit. It seems that deep within the tragedy of Hamlet, Shakespeare decided he need to inject some levity into the mix: enter chief advisor Polonius.
Without getting into the whole "Lie" vs. "Lay" grammatical details, host Qarie Marshall provides the genesis of this very Shakespearean expression and how the meaning and usage of it has developed over the years.
You might think that today's phrase pops up in Shakespeare's most famous story of teen tumult, "Romeo and Juliet," but you would be wrong. Dead wrong. Host Qarie Marshall takes us on a wild ride to expose the history of "Love is Blind."
We begin series four of SFC, as Qarie Marshall examines the backstory behind Uncle Will's alliterative phrase, "Bated Breath."
Today we travel back to Prospero's Island with Humphrey Bogart to uncover such stuff as "Dreams are made of."
Today we travel back to the Trojan War via a post-punk 90's song to find the origin of "Good Riddance."
Today we manage to keep our feet planted firmly on the ground as we investigate Shakespeare's not-so-ephemeral turn of phrase, "vanished into thin air."
Today we travel back to 44 BCE to find the origins of 'Sterner stuff' at the funeral of Julius Caesar.
This week on SFC: a trip to confession, an ambitious Hunch-backed king, and some syrup-slathered pancakes – all in our exploration of "short shrift."
Join us this week for a trip to Verona, where we meet two young lovers caught in a fool's paradise!
Today we look into the origin of Shakespearean superlatives by way of a "be-all and the end-all" trip to Scotland.
Today we take a look into Shipwrecks, Distopias, and Tempests as we uncover the origins of a "Brave New World."
We take a trip through the dark side of Shakespeare's mind with the story behind the phrase "The Devil Incarnate."
Perhaps you have that person in life who supports you and lifts you up? Your "rock," or your "harbor in the tempest" as it were. In this episode, Qarie takes us on an etymological odyssey back to another descriptive phrase coined by Shakespeare, "Tower of Strength."
Today we take a look at the kinghtly and ironic origin of "wearing one's heart upon one's sleeve."
For this episode, host Qarie Marshall digs deep into the Shakespearean etymology of a unique phrase which means almost exactly what it says: "Greek to Me." But what do the Greeks say? Listen in and find out!
For this episode, host Qarie Marshall digs deep into the Shakespearean etymology of a unique phrase which means almost exactly what it says: "Greek to Me." But what do the Greeks say? Listen in and find out!
Series three of SFC is off to a roaring start as Qarie explores the phrase that Uncle Will came back to on no less than 20 occasions (in 13 of his plays): "Flesh & Blood."
As the second series of Shakespeare Full Circle comes to a close, host Qarie Marshall explores the meaning behind the phrase "Salad Days."
On this week's episode we travel back to Rome where we're cooking up "A Dish Fit For The Gods."
On this week's episode we'll take a trip back to Prospero's Island for a look at the origins of "Being In A Pickle."
In this week's episode we get a seat at the table with Falstaff to look into the origins of being "eaten out of house and home."
In this week's episode, we explore one of Shakespeare's more cryptic euphemisms for death: "Dead as a doornail."
If you happen to be at a loose end and wondering what to do for five minutes, we have just the remedy. You see,"As Luck Would Have It," that is the exact length of the podcast!
It's become a part of our common lexicon, and was a favorite of the Bard. Not "Always", not "Ever", "Till Kingdom Come", nor even "Till the Bovines Return to their Domicile" (okay that last one we made up). No, we trace Shakespeare's many uses of the phrase "Forever and a Day," and it's subsequent usage in popular culture.
Today we are travelling from Stratford to Washington & New York via Denmark to uncover the Method to Uncle Will's Madness.
Host Qarie Marshall explores the Shakespearean origins of the saying "strange bedfellows," its journey from the literal to the figurative, and its ubiquitous presence in the realm of modern politics.
In this episode, host Qarie Marshall examines the back story and meaning of the phrase "The game is up," and how it went from "game" to "jig," and finally, "gig."
Host Qarie Marshall takes us behind the scenes of the word "spotless" and its application in the phrase "Spotless Reputation" - and how we can apply that concept to our daily lives.
As we begin the second series of Shakespeare Full Circle, host Qarie Marshall explores the origin of a phrase that has shaped movies, plays, and books for centuries: "Heart of Gold."
In this the final episode of SFC series one, we take a fittingly apt and apropros look into the origin of coming... "Full Circle."
In this episode of Shakespeare Full Circle, we explore the origin of one of The Bard's favorite turns-of-phrase, "Cold Comfort."
"Two sets of twins, a storm & a shipwreck. Three things that contain "Neither rhyme nor reason." Or do they? Tune in to find out!
This morning we take a journey to a Venetian Court to look into the phrase, "A Pound of Flesh."
This week Qarie takes us on a journey to ancient Scotland to look at the origins of "the milk of human kindness."
This week Qarie takes a look at social norms, public shaming and how a comedy set in Windsor gave us the term, "Laughing Stock."
Have you ever been part of a fruitless endeavor? A lost cause perhaps? Well in this episode of SFC, Qarie Marshall puts that all to rest when we finally catch our untamed waterfoul and find out where the term Wild Goose Chase originated.
Host Qarie Marshall finds out if it's possible to have too much of a good thing, whether Shakespeare thought so and how a cross-dressing romp in the forest led to that phrase entering our vocabulary.
Qarie Marshall examines the dark etymology and Shakespearean origins of the phrase "The world is my oyster" and its connection to modern-day life in London.
Love, deception, and a beast with a distinctly sickly hue... today we look at Othello’s “Green-Eyed Monster” and how Jealousy’s historical tint has been taken on by its sister serpent, Envy.
In this episode, host Qarie Marshall traces the journey of being "cruel to be kind" from Hamlet to Victorian Stoicism and on to school punishment and modern parenting.
In this premiere episode of Shakespeare Full Circle, host Qarie Marshall takes us on a tour of the Shakespearean saying "All That Glisters is Not Gold" - and how it came to be the much more familiar "All That Glitters..."