A Bard’s tale. How Shakespeare united the intellectual and populist like no one else.
How much is the personality of England intertwined with the visions of Shakespeare?
Acclaimed historian Simon Schama tries to get beneath the skin of the playwright and understand why his stories are so relevant today.
In this insightful documentary we are shown how Shakespeare knew the importance of not just reflecting the lives of the kings and queens who peppered his plays, but ordinary people too – including thieves, clowns and prostitutes.
Watch Simon Schama's Shakespeare and Us and more acclaimed documentaries on BBC Select today. Restrictions apply*.
More documentaries you might like...
Start your free trial now
BBC Select is available on Amazon Prime Video Channels, the Apple TV app and the Roku Channel for only $4.99 a month. Start your free 7-day trial today to stream documentaries on Smart TVs, laptops, tablets and mobile devices. Restrictions apply*.
BBC Select Email Newsletter
Sign up to be the first to know about new shows on BBC Select, the latest collection of documentaries and other content from BBC Studios we think you’ll enjoy.
Literature documentaries
Pull up a chair and leaf through BBC Select's documentaries on literature. If you live in the US or Canada, you can sign up for BBC Select to watch documentaries on the influences that books have on our lives.
