1608

Life and death

First mention of table forks in Italy
French colonists found Quebec
"Coriolanus" written and performed at The Globe
February: Shakespeare's first granddaughter, Elizabeth, is Christened on February 21st
August: Long theatre closure because of plague. Theatres may not have reopened until 1610
King's Men acquire Blackfriars theatre
September: Shakespeare's mother dies and is buried at Holy Trinity

Nancy Carroll and Gerald Kyd in Romeo and Juliet

Scandalous sonnets

Ten years after most of them were written, Shakespeare publishes "Shakespeare's Sonnets", many of which refer to his passion for the "Beautiful Boy" and the "Dark Lady..."

1609

Shadow of the plague lifts again

Twelve years' truce between Spain and the Netherlands
Netherlands ally with England and France
Telescope invented
Beginning of Tokugawa Shogunate in Japan
Theatres still closed over winter
"Cymbeline" written and performed at The Globe
"A Winter's Tale" written and performed at The Globe
Summer: Plague fears recede and Inigo Jones stages a lavish series of entertainments for the investiture of Henry as Prince of Wales.

Reclaiming the Blackfriars

Despite serious opposition from the neighbors, The King's Men acquired the Blackfriars as their first indoor theatre...

Desmond Barrit plays Falstaff at The New Inn

Guilty by association

A Catholic touring company, The Simpsons of North Egmont, are reported by government informers for allegedly mocking and deriding the state religion during a performance of Shakespeare plays...

1610

Remembering a rival

Kepler, founder of modern astronomy, dies
English colonize Ulster
Bermuda pamphlets published
Royal physician William Harvey propounds his theory of the circulation of the blood
"The Tempest," Shakespeare's last work as sole author, is written and performed at the Blackfriars and The Globe
Winter 1609–spring 1610 Shakespeare adapts a pulp novel, "Pandosto," by his late critic and rival Robert Greene to form the basis of "A Winter's Tale."

An inspiration for The Tempest

A ship, called the Sea Adventure, sets sail for America. The ship encounters terrible storms, however, and, on June 24th, the ship is wrecked off the Bermudas...

1611

A tale for two theatres

First British envoy to Great Mogul
Authorized Version of The Bible issued
Chapman's "Iliad" completed

"The Two Noble Kinsmen" written and performed at The Blackfriars and The Globe

1612

A death in the family

Bermudas colonized from Virginia
Shelton's translation of "Don Quixote" published

February: Shakespeare's brother Gilbert dies aged forty-five
November: After a short illness, Prince Henry dies

The lost play

"Cardenio" written and performed at The Blackfriars and The Globe...

1613

The Globe burns down

Peace between Sweden and Denmark
English settlement permitted at Surat, India
Princess Elizabeth marries Elector Palatine
The King's Men put on fourteen plays in celebration, among them the lost play "Cardenio"

"Henry VIII" written and performed at The Globe (or as Shakespeare named it, "All Is True")
During a performance on June 29th The Globe burns down