Of all Shakespeare’s plays, perhaps none is stranger than “Macbeth”— a parable on power rife with supernatural elements. But according to texts from the 11th century, this tragedy has its roots in reality. What’s more, other accounts...

Though he was descended from some of the world's most successful conquerors, Babur struggled to gain a foothold among the many other ambitious princes in Central Asia. So he turned his attention to India, where his descendants stayed and...

This week on Crash Course Literature, John Green is continuing to talk about Shakespeare's dark, bloody, Scottish play, Macbeth. This time around, we're looking at the play's characters operate, how the play deals with gender, and the...

Beginning around 1377, medieval England was shaken by a power struggle between two noble families, which spanned generations and involved a massive cast of characters, complex motives and shifting loyalties. Sound familiar? Alex Gendler...

Hercules, the strongest man alive with a mighty heart to match. Orpheus, charmer of nature and master of music. Castor and Pollux, the twin tricksters. The Boreads, sons of the North Wind who could hurtle through the air. Brought...

While the focus has been on Western Europe so far, there has also been a lot going on in Eastern Europe, which we'll be looking at today. The Commonwealth of Poland-Lithuania, The Ottoman Empire, and Russia were all competing at the...

She was the most notorious woman in ancient history, a queen who enraptured not one but two of Rome's greatest generals. But was she just a skilled seductress or a great ruler in her own right? Alex Gendler puts this controversial figure...

There's a play so powerful that an old superstition says its name should never be uttered in a theater. A play that begins with witchcraft and ends with a bloody, severed head. A play filled with riddles, prophecies, nightmare visions,...

So far, the rulers of Europe have been working to consolidate their power and expand their kingdoms, and this is it. The moment they've been working toward: Absolute Monarchy. We're going to learn about how kings and queens became...

On January 16th, 1895, two men arrived at Liliʻuokalani's door, arrested her, and imprisoned her. The Missionary Party had recently seized power and now confiscated her diaries, ransacked her house, and claimed her lands. Liliʻuokalani...

Most history books will tell you that the Roman Empire fell in the fifth century CE, but this would've come as a surprise to the millions who lived in the Roman Empire through the Middle Ages. This Medieval Roman Empire, today called the...

In this video Bill Thisdell looks at Charles I's reputation, charged with being a murderer and tyrant at his trial and yet later hailed as a martyr. Which was it? Was Charles really a bad king? How far was Charles responsible for the...

Howcast - Check out part 75 and become Death in this walkthrough of THQ's new release, Darksiders 2.

Howcast - Check out part 38 and become Death in this walkthrough of THQ's new release, Darksiders 2.

Hué, located on Vietnam's "River of Fragrances," was the capital under the Nguyen dynasty, which began in the late 17th century, after the family recaptured the city in 1802. The imperial city, influenced by Chinese culture, was largely...

There are certain books that aren't exactly listed in great detail on Amazon. These weird and mysterious works often have unknown authors and describe forgotten histories or strange and fantastical worlds. There are some books that are...

Charles II of England - the so-called "Merry Monarch" - had a legendary love life. His mistresses were visible, integral members of his court. Stories of their affairs with the king, and their rivalries with each other, have echoed...

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