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A Shakespearean Botanical Hardcover – December 15, 2015

by Margaret Willes (Author)

26 ratings

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When Falstaff calls upon the sky to rain potatoes in The Merry Wives of Windsor, he highlights the belief that the exotic vegetable, recently introduced to England from the Americas, was an aphrodisiac. In Romeo and Juliet, Lady Capulet calls for quinces to make pies for the marriage feast, knowing that the fragrant fruit was connected with weddings and fertility. Shakespeare’s contemporaries would have been familiar with such ripe symbolism in part due to herbals, tomes filled with detailed botanical descriptions consulted to deepen knowledge of the plants of the day.

A Shakespearean Botanical follows in the tradition of the medieval and Renaissance herbal, touring the Bard’s remarkable knowledge of the fruits, vegetables, herbs, and flowers of Tudor and Jacobean England through fifty quotations from his plays and verse poems. Each of the entries is beautifully illustrated with hand-colored renderings from the work of Shakespeare’s contemporary, herbalist John Gerard, making an appropriate pairing with his writing, along with a brief text setting the quotation within the context of the medicine, cooking, and gardening of the time.

The book’s many beautifully reproduced images are a pleasure to look at, and Margaret Willes’s well-chosen quotations and expert knowledge of Shakespeare’s England provide readers with a fascinating insight into daily life. The book will make an inspiring addition to the Shakespeare lover’s bookshelf, as well as capitvate anyone with a passion for plants or botanical art.

Print length

128 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Bodleian Library, University of Oxford
Publication date

December 15, 2015
Dimensions

4.5 x 1.6 x 7.25 inches
ISBN-10

1851244379
ISBN-13

978-1851244379
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“We closed Willes’s book imagining the Bard tending an allotment in Stratford-upon-Avon, with marigolds—opening ‘to adorn the day’ (The Rape of Lucrece), closing ‘with the sun’ (The Winter’s Tale)—nodding violets, and thoughtful pansies. A Shakespearean Botanical would make a better Christmas gift . . . than deadly nightshade.”

― Times Literary Supplement Published On: 2015-11-10

About the Author

Margaret Willes was a reader in modern history and architectural history at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford. She later worked as a publisher at the National Trust, where she established the Trust’s own imprint in social history, architecture, gardening, archaeology, natural history, and cookery, in addition to guidebooks to the individual properties of the Trust.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Bodleian Library, University of Oxford (December 15, 2015)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 128 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1851244379
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1851244379
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 13.8 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 4.5 x 1.6 x 7.25 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,350,508 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #547 in Shakespeare Literary Criticism
- #1,870 in Botany (Books)
- #2,426 in British & Irish Literary Criticism (Books)

Customer Reviews:
26 ratings

Customer reviews

5 star		74%
4 star		12%
3 star		14%
2 star 0% (0%)		0%
1 star 0% (0%)		0%

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Top reviews from the United States

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Bob Green

Excellent and classy!

Reviewed in the United States on June 17, 2019

Verified Purchase

My wife is a horticulturist, and a lover of Shakespeare love. What a perfect book. She loved it!
Besides the obvious combination of Shakespeare and botanical, it is well made and a quality book, that will be passed down to the next generation.

Helpful

Carolyn Coughran

A good reference book on the botanicals of Shakespeare's time

Reviewed in the United States on June 1, 2021

Verified Purchase

liked the wide assortment of botanicals referenced in this book.
Many are still growing today.

Reviewed in the United States on October 6, 2017

Verified Purchase

Just what I hoped for.

Reviewed in the United States on September 12, 2017

Verified Purchase

Beautiful book for a lover of lowers and Shakespeare

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Martha Woofter

it's a nice little gift book about Shakespeare's plants

Reviewed in the United States on October 9, 2016

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It's not fiction, so no plot twists. But, it's a nice little gift book about Shakespeare's plants.

Helpful

Beautifully illustrated and written

Reviewed in the United States on December 7, 2018

A Shakespearean Botanical is a compendium of plants mentioned in Shakespeare’s plays and poems.

The contents page says The Plants, without further detail. There are actually 49 plants, listed in alphabetical order, with three pages dedicated to each plant (with a gorgeous sketch, the Shakespearean quote, and explanatory text): Aconite, Apple, Apricot, Broom, Cabbage, Camomile, Carnation, Carrot, Cherry, Columbine, Crab apple, Crown imperial, Daffodil, Daisy, Deadly nightshade, Eglantine, Fig, Gooseberry, Hazel, Honeysuckle, Iris, Lady’s smock, Lily, Long purples, Mandrake, Marigold, Medlar, Mistletoe, Mulberry, Oak, Pansy, Parsley, Pear, Poppy, Potato, Primrose, Pumpkin, Quince, Rhubarb, Rose, Rosemary, Rue, Saffron, Samphire, Strawberry, Sweet marjoram, Violet, Walnut, and Wormwood.

As readers can see by the list – and other plants not listed as a major heading – there is much to enjoy, and many Shakespeare quotes to read. One of my favourites is from the popular and famous lines from Oberon in Midsummer Night’s Dream (II.1.249-252): ‘I know a bank where the wild thyme blows, Where oxlips and the nodding violet grows, Quite overcanopied with luscious woodbine, With sweet musk-roses, and with eglantine.’

The flowers and herbs of Tudor and Jacobean England are exotic, medicinal, decorative, symbolic, and often edible. There is a rich history on every page, with beautiful illustrations by herbalist and botanist John Gerard (1545-1612), providing a flashback to Shakespearean times. It is a fascinating reference book of the bard’s botanicals.

3 people found this helpful

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Jane Rushton

Shakespeare with Flowers!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 3, 2017

Verified Purchase

This book was bought as gift, and the person I gave it too was very pleased with it . She is interested in both horticulture and Shakespeare, so it was a good choice.

R Mays

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 20, 2016

Verified Purchase

A beautifully illustrated book, packed full of information.

One person found this helpful

Mrs. R. J. Withers

Three Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 16, 2017

Verified Purchase

A nice little refernce book one to keep to hand

Amazon Customer

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 1, 2017

Verified Purchase

Delightful

danubia

Schöner Inhalt, schlechter Druck

Reviewed in Germany on July 23, 2021

Verified Purchase

Leider ist die Druckqualität sehr schlecht. Die Farben sind blass. Das Papier ist sehr rauh und dick.
Die schönen Abbildungen verlieren ihre Wirkung. Das ist schade.

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