Episode 168: Witches, Demons and Fairies
The History of English Podcast
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The Early Records of Shakespeare
In 1592, shortly after the first three books of the fairy queen were published, we have the first recorded references to Shakespeare in London. Some scholars think that Shakespeare helped to give us the modern notion of fairies by combining the smallness of elves with the magical abilities of the Thay or fairies presented in medieval romances. In the final part of this episode, we'll look at that evidence and examine his earliest plays.
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