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Core Topics => In the Media => Topic started by: Chip on August 10, 2015, 11:32:48 PM

Title: Was William Shakespeare on drugs ?
Post by: Chip on August 10, 2015, 11:32:48 PM
http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/books/was-william-shakespeare-on-drugs-20150810-giv8w0.html

Was William Shakespeare on drugs?

New research has found traces of cannabis and cocaine in clay pipes dug up in William Shakespeare's hometown, Stratford-Upon-Avon.

Was William Shakespeare a stoner? It's a legitimate question following the revelation that clay tobacco pipes dug up from the garden of his home in Stratford-upon-Avon contain traces of cannabis.
Researchers at a forensic laboratory in South Africa have examined fragments of 24 clay tobacco pipes dating from the early 17th century in the area where Shakespeare was born and lived. A number of these came from the grounds of his house.
 
Traces of cannabis were found in eight of the pipes, nicotine in one and cocaine in two.Sir Francis Drake and Sir Walter Raleigh, contemporaries of Shakespeare and favourites of the court of Queen Elizabeth, were renowned travellers to the New World.
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Raleigh has long been associated with the introduction to England of "tobacco" – nicotiania – following his travels to the New World.
The study, led by Professor Frances Thackeray of the University of the Witwatersrand, suggests that Drake may have brought cocaine leaves home from Peru.

The pipe fragments were analysed using gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GCMS), writes Professor Thackeray, who has been exploring the link between Shakespeare and his possible use of drugs since at least 1999, when he penned a paper titled "Hemp as a source of inspiration for Shakespearean literature?"

Though he cannot conclusively prove that Bill was having an excellent adventure while writing his plays, he does wonder if there might be clues in some of the sonnets. Thackeray notes that "In Sonnet 76 Shakespeare writes about 'invention in a noted weed'. This can be interpreted to mean that Shakespeare was willing to use 'weed' (Cannabis as a kind of tobacco) for creative writing ('invention').
"In the same sonnet it appears that he would prefer not to be associated with 'compounds strange', which can be interpreted, at least potentially, to mean 'strange drugs' (possibly cocaine)."

If Shakespeare and co were indeed smoking wacky tobaccy, it was likely not only during the writing process.
Writes Thackeray: "One can well imagine the scenario in which Shakespeare performed his plays in the court of Queen Elizabeth, in the company of Drake, Raleigh and others who smoked clay pipes filled with 'tobacco'."

No wonder his plays were so popular.

Attached phot caption: Off his head?: William Shakespeare could well have smoked cannabis to fuel his creativity. Photo: Hulton Archive
Title: Re: Was William Shakespeare on drugs ?
Post by: St. Theresa on August 11, 2015, 12:01:02 AM
Lol. That's a pretty interesting article...I found it funny that the one doctors last name is Thackeray like the coke addicted doctor on the show "the knock" dr, thackery played by Clive Owen (hubba-hubba). :D
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