Shakespeare: The Man Behind the Name
In the realm of English literature, few names carry as much weight as William Shakespeare.
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Elizabethan era
Elizabeth I’s Secret Agents episode 3
Elizabeth I’s Secret Agents episode 3: Elizabeth I is dead and King James of Scotland travels south to take the throne at the invitation of Robert Cecil. Meanwhile, John Gerard, a Catholic priest who has dedicated his life to the destruction of the Protestant state that developed in Elizabeth’s England, has escaped and made contact with a splinter cell in the Catholic underground containing an extremist called Guy Fawkes, who has a plan to blow up parliament with the king inside. Cecil hears about the gunpowder plot, but is unaware of when and how they will strike, and
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Elizabeth I’s Secret Agents episode 2
Elizabeth I’s Secret Agents episode 2: Robert Cecil is the son of Elizabeth I’s original spymaster. He has been groomed since birth to inherit his father’s network but when he finally steps into his father’s shoes, the queen’s enemies are stronger than ever and Cecil must also watch his back. The Earl of Essex has established a rival network and is trying to oust Cecil as Elizabeth’s spymaster. Essex is everything Cecil is not. Cecil is bent-backed and under five foot tall. Essex is an athlete and a war hero who flirts with the queen. But the two
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Elizabeth I’s Secret Agents episode 1
Elizabeth I’s Secret Agents episode 1: A look at the secret network behind Queen Elizabeth I’s 40-year reign and the world’s first secret service run by her spymasters Robert and William Cecil. In this episode, we find England alone – a Protestant nation in a largely Catholic Europe. Then, 12 years into Elizabeth’s reign, the pope declares her a heretic, which in the hearts of England’s Catholics gives them permission to kill her. Queen Elizabeth looks to her spymaster William Cecil to stop the Catholic assassins getting through. Cecil establishes a huge espionage network – England’s first secret
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A Very British Renaissance episode 2
A Very British Renaissance episode 2: In this episode, he explores the Elizabethans’ love of secrecy, codes and complexity, and the cultural revolution sparked by an age of discovery and exploration. Art historian Dr James Fox continues his exploration of a Renaissance that he believes was as rich and as significant in Britain as it was in Italy and Europe. He tells the story of the painters, sculptors, poets, playwrights, composers, inventors, craftsmen and scientists who revolutionised the way we saw the world. A Very British Renaissance episode 2 Elizabethan era The Elizabethan era is the
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Elizabeth episode 4
Elizabeth episode 4: Presented by eminent historian David Starkey, Elizabeth explores the turbulent life and times of England’s Virgin Queen by augmenting newly shot re-creations of famous events with artistic interpretations of Good Queen Bess, glimpses of British landmarks and period artifacts, and incisive passages quoted from historical records. Elizabeth’s reign began in the late 16th century, with her beloved England threatened from both without and within. As this four-hour documentary demonstrates, she rose to these challenges, most notably building the Royal Navy into a world-renowned fighting force that defeated the Spanish Armada and presiding over a cultural
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Elizabeth episode 3
Elizabeth episode 3: Presented by eminent historian David Starkey, Elizabeth explores the turbulent life and times of England’s Virgin Queen by augmenting newly shot re-creations of famous events with artistic interpretations of Good Queen Bess, glimpses of British landmarks and period artifacts, and incisive passages quoted from historical records. Elizabeth’s reign began in the late 16th century, with her beloved England threatened from both without and within. As this four-hour documentary demonstrates, she rose to these challenges, most notably building the Royal Navy into a world-renowned fighting force that defeated the Spanish Armada and presiding over a cultural
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Elizabeth episode 2
Elizabeth episode 2: Presented by eminent historian David Starkey, Elizabeth explores the turbulent life and times of England’s Virgin Queen by augmenting newly shot re-creations of famous events with artistic interpretations of Good Queen Bess, glimpses of British landmarks and period artifacts, and incisive passages quoted from historical records. Elizabeth’s reign began in the late 16th century, with her beloved England threatened from both without and within. As this four-hour documentary demonstrates, she rose to these challenges, most notably building the Royal Navy into a world-renowned fighting force that defeated the Spanish Armada and presiding over a cultural
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Elizabeth episode 1
Elizabeth episode 1: Presented by eminent historian David Starkey, Elizabeth explores the turbulent life and times of England’s Virgin Queen by augmenting newly shot re-creations of famous events with artistic interpretations of Good Queen Bess, glimpses of British landmarks and period artifacts, and incisive passages quoted from historical records. Elizabeth’s reign began in the late 16th century, with her beloved England threatened from both without and within. As this four-hour documentary demonstrates, she rose to these challenges, most notably building the Royal Navy into a world-renowned fighting force that defeated the Spanish Armada and presiding over a cultural
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