About Clare Washbrook Expertise I can answer questions related to the texts, sonnets or to Shakespeare's life. I can help with historical context and language difficulties. I am a secondary school English and Drama teacher in England and can therefore help current students with the texts which they are studying.
DO NOT ASK ME WHERE HE GOT HIS IDEAS FROM! I know that it is a dreadful question to be posed as homework but I have recieved it dozens of times. The answer can be found in past questions.
Experience I fell in love with Shakespeare at a young age and continue to be enthralled. I have studied Shakespeare to undergraduate level and teach Shakespeare to A-level (age 18). I have performed three of his plays. As an amateur etymologist I am familiar with many misconceptions about the meanings, intent and usage of words in the plays which other people are often unaware of.
Educated to post-graduate level.
Published and performance poet.
Former Journalist, former Editor, occassional Private Tutor. Included in OED as the first writer to use a particular word.
Organizations The Poetry Society
Publications The Radio Times, Books by Dogma, "SO" Magazine, NUS publications, Other Poetry, OED, Publications by PTS others
Education/Credentials BA (HONS) Literature (Theatre minor), MA (current accreditation)
Awards and Honors Bronze Award - International Poetry Awards 2004
Shakespeare - shakespeare and greek mythology (especially hercules)
Expert: Clare Washbrook - 3/26/2009
Question Hi, I would like to know which anthologies of Greek Myths Shakespeare might have read. I am doing a comparative piece on Othello and Ovid's tale of Deianira and Hercules, and I know that he would have read Ovid, but need to know whether there were any other variations of the myth around at his time, in English, French, Latin or Italian, that he may have had access to. Thank you!
Answer Emily,
In short, yes.
Most notable would be The Trachiniae, a play by Sophocles. This is specifically about Deianira and has Heracles/Hercules as a rather unsympathetic character.
The Renaissance and those of the Medieval times before that, were obsessed with these kind of tragic tales, so most of them were re-written repeatedly. After all, Shakespeare only wrote one or two truly original stories.
The troubadours and medieval literature would have contained the tale in different forms.
I believe Petrarch made reference to Hercules/Heracles as well.
