What do you think? Leave a respectful comment.

PBS NewsHour Logo: Home

Did Shakespeare Have Syphilis?

Jan 24, 2013 9:31 PM EDT

Story

Jeffrey Brown talks to Dr. John J. Ross, author of "Shakespeare’s Tremor and Orwell’s Cough: The Medical Lives of Famous Writers."

Support Provided By: Learn more

Educate your inbox

Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else.

Additional Support Provided By:

Watch Jun 21 A firsthand report of ‘inhumane conditions’ at a migrant children’s detention facility
Read Jun 25 Smartphones aren’t making millennials grow horns. Here’s how to spot a bad study
Read Jun 24 What’s an advanced Russian warship doing in Havana harbor?
Watch Jun 17 All of the Mueller report’s major findings in less than 30 minutes
Read Jun 25 White House threatens to veto migrant aid bill

Politics Jun 25

Acting Customs and Border Protection chief resigns amid migrant detention outrage

By Associated Press

Nation Jun 25

First lady’s spokeswoman to be White House press secretary

By Associated Press

A study claims millennials are growing “horns” due to smartphone usage, but it is flawed. Can you spot the problems? Image Shahar D. and Sayers M., Scientific Reports, 2019/CC BY 4.0

Science Jun 25

Smartphones aren’t making millennials grow horns. Here’s how to spot a bad study

By Nsikan Akpan

White House senior adviser Jared Kushner and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin arrive at Manama's Four Seasons hotel, the venue for the U.S.-hosted "Peace to Prosperity" conference, in Manama, Bahrain, June 25, 2019. Photo by Matt Spetalnick/Reuters

World Jun 25

U.S. kicks off workshop for Palestinian economic development

By Matthew Lee, Associated Press

U.S. citizen Michael Nguyen is escorted by policemen before his trial at a court in Ho Chi Minh city, Vietnam on June 24, 2019. Photo via Reuters

World Jun 25

American accused of plot to overthrow Vietnam government gets 12-year sentence

By Associated Press

President Donald Trump speaks before signing an executive order aimed at requiring hospitals to be more transparent about prices before charging patients for healthcare services, at the White House in Washington, on June 24, 2019. Photo by Erin Scott/Reuters

Politics Jun 25

Trump says woman who accused him of sexual assault is not his ‘type’

By Associated Press

Actor Jussie Smollett leaves court after charges against him were dropped by state prosecutors in Chicago, Illinois on March 26, 2019. Photo by Kamil Krzaczynski/Reuters

Nation Jun 25

Chicago police release more than 1,000 files from Smollett investigation

By Don Babwin, Sophia Tareen, Associated Press

Members of Mexico's National Guard patrol the border between Mexico and the U.S. as part of an ongoing operation to prevent migrants from crossing illegally into the United States, in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico on June 24, 2019. Photo Jose Luis Gonzalez/Reuters

Nation Jun 25

Migrant woman and children found dead near U.S.-Mexico border at start of summer

By David Warren, Cedar Attanasio, Associated Press

Politics Jun 25

White House threatens to veto migrant aid bill

By Alan Fram, Associated Press

FILE PHOTO: Iranian President Hassan Rouhani speaks during a meeting with tribal leaders in Kerbala, Iraq, on March 12, 2019. Photo by Abdullah Dhiaa Al-Deen/Reuters

World Jun 25

Iran’s president says latest U.S. sanctions mean ‘permanent closure’ for diplomacy

By Nasser Karimi, Associated Press

Nation Jun 24

Hundreds of migrant children transferred from Texas facility with ‘inhumane’ conditions

By William Brangham

World Jun 24

What’s an advanced Russian warship doing in Havana harbor?

By Michael Weissenstein, Andrea Rodriguez, Vladimir Isachenkov, Associated Press

Politics Jun 24

WATCH: Ryan thinks Biden would have better chance against Trump than other 2020 Democrats

By Molly Finnegan

Politics Jun 24

Ex-White House aide to answer written questions for Congress

By Mary Clare Jalonick, Associated Press

FOREST CITY, NC - APRIL 19: An employee walks past servers in one of four server rooms at the new Facebook Data Center on April 19, 2012 in Forest City, North Carolina. The company began construction on the facility in November 2010 and went live today, serving the 845 million Facebook users worldwide. (Photo by Rainier Ehrhardt/Getty Images)

Politics Jun 24

Bill would require tech companies to tell you what your data is worth

By Marcy Gordon, Associated Press

President Donald Trump signs an executive order imposing fresh sanctions on Iran as Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Vice President Mike Pence look on in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, on June 24, 2019. Photo by Carlos Barria/Reuters

World Jun 24

WATCH: Trump signs sanctions targeting Iran

By Associated Press

Delegation members representing Milan Cortina celebrate after the city won the bid to host the 2026 Winter Olympic Games during the 134th Session of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), at the SwissTech Convention Centre, in Lausanne, Switzerland on June 24, 2019. Photo by Philippe Lopez/Pool via Reuters

World Jun 24

Italy chosen to host the 2026 Winter Olympics

By Graham Dunbar, Daniella Matar, Associated Press

Palestinian women burn posters depicting U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a protest against Bahrain's workshop for U.S. peace plan, in the southern Gaza Strip on June 18, 2019. Photo by Ibraheem Abu Mustafa/Reuters

World Jun 24

U.S. pushes Palestinian economic plan despite doubts, hostility

By Matthew Lee, Associated Press

President Donald Trump signs an executive order on immigration policy in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, June 20, 2018. Photo by Leah Millis/Reuters

Nation Jun 24

WATCH: Trump signs executive order to make health care prices more transparent

The U.S. Supreme Court building is seen in Washington, on March 26, 2019. Photo by Brendan McDermid/Reuters

Nation Jun 24

Justices say scandalous trademarks law is unconstitutional

By Jessica Gresko, Associated Press