In this engaging audiobook, Neil MacGregor explores life for Shakespeare’s first audiences during a time of political and religious unrest, as well as economic expansion. Through the examination of twenty significant objects from this turbulent period—including a communion chalice, a Venetian goblet, and everyday items such as a theatregoer’s fork and an apprentice’s cap—MacGregor delves into how Elizabethan play-goers made sense of their changing world and what Shakespeare’s plays meant to them when first performed.

As he discusses topics like exploration, discovery, violence, entertainment, and the plague, MacGregor is joined by scholars, historians, and experts who enrich the narrative. This audiobook offers a unique perspective on the concerns and beliefs of Shakespearean England, all framed through the lens of its historical artifacts.