Shakespeare’s plays are peppered with characters from across the social spectrum, from kings and nobility down to servants, soldiers and shepherds. Speaking to Rhiannon Davies, theatre director and author Stephen Unwin explores the bard’s portrayal of working people, and investigates how far his characters reflected the reality of living and working in Elizabethan England.

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Stephen Unwin is the author of Poor Naked Wretches: Shakespeare's Working People (Reaktion Books, 2022)

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Authors

Rhiannon DaviesFreelance journalist

A former BBC History Magazine section editor, Rhiannon has long been fascinated by history and continues to write for HistoryExtra.com. She has appeared on the award-winning HistoryExtra podcast, interviewing experts on a variety of subjects, from Lucy Worsley discussing Agatha Christie to Sir Ranulph Fiennes on the perils of polar exploration

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