Folk-lore of Shakespeare

"Folk-lore of Shakespeare" by T. F. Thiselton-Dyer is a study of Shakespeare's plays through the lens of old folk tales, written in the late 1800s. It explores the folklore of the Elizabethan era, with elements like fairies, witches, demons, and ghosts that colored the social environment of the time. The book shows the beliefs that shaped Shakespeare's writing, and how folklore affected his stories and characters; it begins by looking at fairies in Shakespeare's plays and how important they were in the minds of people in Elizabethan times. It describes characters like Oberon and Titania, explaining how Shakespeare's versions mirrored the folklore of that period. It investigates how fairies connected to the traditional beliefs of the time, and their qualities, roles, and the cultural setting from plays like "A Midsummer Night's Dream." It serves as an introduction to how folklore echoes in Shakespeare's writings.