The Science of Shakespeare

A hypothetical conversation between a young (“almost nine”) William and his father opens this book. The two comment on what may or may not be a new star in the sky, with the father asking his son to speak in Latin. This helps set the tone with regards to the science and the language of the day. Shakespeare lived in interesting times; surely the breakthroughs in scientific thought interested him? Dan Falk addresses this question to great effect, drawing from the work of other researchers but synthesizing it all under a new light.

This is a history of science that tracks the development of scientific understanding with Shakespeare in parallel, though more as support: convenient evidence from a prolific and popular writer. Most of the science relates to astronomy, though the medicine of those times is also explored.  This is good science writing, and readers – like myself – need not fear the literary analysis; that too comes from a more scientific approach, and the author provides references for those who may be curious to learn more. One chapter, though, contrasts the SAA (Shakespeare Association of America) with the AAS (American Astronomical Society). The book is well-organized in short, readable passages with often witty headings.

We know very little about the playwright himself, and rely mostly on his works to get a sense of his personality. More biographical info is available for others historical figures of the time, but it is notable that all of these scientists or their predecessors, the ‘natural philosophers,’ are men. Although, Queen Elizabeth was in power for much of this period, and we get a pretty progressive image of her, even if she was a monarch. There is a focus on characters like Tycho Brahe, John Dee, Leonard and Thomas Digges and Thomas Harriot, among others, like the strange figure of Giordano Bruno. We also get to learn a little about a few contemporary Shakespeare scholars.

Eventually we get to Galileo, who was born the same year as the bard.  Though he may not have been the first to construct a telescope, this great thinker has been a hero of mine since the fourth grade when I dressed up in a funny blue beard to give a report. Beards aside, what I always was inspired by was how he not only looked at the universe differently, but also stood up for what he believed and had evidence to back it up. Peter Sís’s beautiful “Starry Messenger” was largely responsible for my admiration, and now I realize that Galileo’s own break-through publication shared that title (Siderius Nuncius). Galileo’s drawings of our moon and Jupiter and its moons are included among the figures that help illustrate the book. The author went to many of the places he writes about, and his own black-and-white photos add a nice touch as well.

How slow science progressed back then! But look at us now, where many are ignoring the beneficial results of peer-reviewed science only to use prejudice, emotion and rhetoric to make their argument. It is sad, but I hope that science will regain a more respected place in our culture. Opinions are one thing, but science is for everyone, I think. (I don’t want this blog to start sounding too opinionated; please let me know if gets to be so!) Falk does an excellent job of fairly presenting all different opinions, especially as new ways of perceiving the universe started happening in the past several centuries and even further back. For that matter, the historical connections between what would become science and religion, astrology, and even “magic” were interesting, something I hadn’t thought too much of before. The next time I read or see a work of Shakespeare, I will think of the science of his time and how far it has come since then. This book is another inspiration I need to get me thinking too about where we can take science from here.