To commemorate Shakespeare’s 452nd birthday and 400 years since his death, Science Oxford hosts a special event in partnership with Creation Theatre.

Professional actors from Creation Theatre team up with with medical historian Leah Astburyand modern day researcher Martijn van de Bunt to explore some of the medical references in Shakespeare’s plays and how they relate to contemporary science. From epilepsy to astrology, malaria to anaesthesia, compare the science of 400 years ago to the cutting edge research we have today and discover what has changed and what has stayed the same.

Shakespeare lived during a period of high mortality. Disease was rife. But he also lived during a notable explosion in the printing of medical texts which translated from Latin into English theories and practices that had previously been the preserve of university educated physicians. Shakespeare employed a wide variety of medical language in his plays. This is testament to the growing interest and engagement of early modern English people with health, healing and medicine.

Shakespeare’s Tonic is part of Oxfordshire Science Festival 2016