Something Autumnal This Way Comes: The varied use of the season in Shakespeare's plays

By Phoebe Wilson, Second Year, English

Autumn is finally upon us! This season is the time for homely pleasures – baking, warm drinks, and our beloved seasonal TV shows, with Traitors and Bake Off both hitting the screens in the past few weeks. But why not expand your horizons into some autumnal set theatre to kickstart the new season? Shakespeare dominates the scene, and some of his best and most revered plays are perfect for autumnal viewing. Macbeth, As You Like It and The Tempest are all set in the gloomy months, but each represent a slightly different mood for the season. So, you can tailor your viewing (or reading) to whatever takes your fancy.

As we approach Halloween, if you’re looking for some gore and magic, Macbeth is the perfect tragedy to sink your teeth into. Filled with witches, spells and a generally eerie atmosphere, the play perfectly encapsulates October and its darker, spooky side. The play focuses on fate, mysticism and deceit, all of which are perpetuated by the overwhelming gloomy and dreary landscape of Scotland. The mood reflects the dark evenings of this new season and allows for violent acts to take place in the depths of night. If you’re looking for a creepy play packed with tension and enchantment, Macbeth is definitely worth a watch. In particular, the David Tennant and Cush Jumbo production filmed at the Donmar Warehouse is available on Amazon, and a truly chilling version perfect for a Halloween viewing.

'Engraving of John Mortimer's Caliban' | Epigram / *Phoebe Wilson*

If Halloween and spooky murders aren’t quite your thing, fear not! Shakespeare also explores the beauty of transformation in nature with the changing of the seasons, as depicted in As You Like It. Set in the beautiful forest of Arden, the pastoral and free landscape mirrors how social hierarchies are artificial and dissolve easily when in nature. The forest and mother nature are all powerful; instead of man being in charge. The seasons changing, with trees changing colours and different animals and plants coming into their own, mirrors the transformation of Rosalind. Nature becomes a place of transformation and metamorphosis, that allows for the play’s characters to experiment with their own identities. The play is a breath of fresh air, with elements of romance and the pastoral, wrapped up in comedy. Particularly on stage, the whimsical and magical elements of the forest come to life - and this would be perfect viewing for a cosy autumnal evening. The RSC version from 2019 is particularly praised for its beautiful set and brilliant comedic delivery.

As a final suggestion, The Tempest is known to be Shakespeare’s last solo-written play, and symbolises an end and a maturity to his writing. It was first staged on All Saints Day (1^st of November) in 1611 and speaks of a harvest celebration – cementing itself as a play destined for the autumn months. With such detailed sea and tidal imagery as well as the harvest and explicit seasonal imagery, The Tempest symbolises change. This is a perfect watch as a blend of genres between Macbeth and As You Like It, incorporating lots of magical and fantastical elements alongside tragedy. There are many traditional versions available online, or if you like the modern adaptations, Donmar Warehouse have produced a version set in a women's prison with a play-within-a-play, performed by the all-female cast of inmates. This is a prolific modern interpretation with great reviews, and wonderful to see how versatile the 17^th century text still is today.

'Elisha Kirkall's engraving of François Boitard's illustration' | Epigram / *Phoebe Wilson*

So why are both us and Shakespeare so intrigued by this time of year? Shakespeare was clearly interested in autumn and how it can reflect and influence plot – both through darkness and mystery and also magic and the supernatural. As the outdoors transform to become more hostile in preparation for winter, we begin to seek warmth and safety indoors. This allows for stories to blossom; a barrier created between the cosy home and the scarier outside world. Such a darkness and division breeds space for danger and the unknown, which as shown through the polarising themes in Macbeth and As You Like It, can be both terrifying and beautifully fun. This is the perfect time to immerse yourself in all that Shakespeare has to offer, and delve into these fantastic plays.