As we bid farewell – for the time being – to Shakespeare, and move on a few years into gory Jacobean revenge drama, we say hello to the apricot. It has been speculated that the apricot originated in either Armenia – about 50 different varieties of the fruit are grown there nowadays – India or China. By Roman times apricots had spread into the Mediterranean region, and they have been known in England since the 16th century; one story says that Henry VIII’s gardener introduced apricots to England from Italy in 1542. Continue reading “Apricots”
Shakespeare the Vegetarian
I’m not suggesting that Shakespeare – or indeed any of his characters – was a vegetarian, but having a number of veggie friends and family-members who follow my blog, and being rather partial to meat-free days myself, I decided to research what Shakespeare has to say about the eating of vegetables. Continue reading “Shakespeare the Vegetarian”
A Shakespeare Feast
Something a bit different this week. I thought – following the suggestion of a friend – that it would be a nice idea to get together a group of my friends who live locally and have been complimentary about my blog, and feed them. Thus, the Shakespeare Feast was designed.
Food as Metaphor in Shakespeare
As well as using food and meals to create character and add dramatic impact, Shakespeare litters his plays with food references used metaphorically. Continue reading “Food as Metaphor in Shakespeare”