Did Shakespeare Really Smoke Weed? Here’s What Science Says
Did William Shakespeare ever light up a bowl? While there isn’t a clear answer to this question, research published in 2015 indicates that he may have at one point. At the very least, Western Literature’s largest contributor likely knew of its hallucinogenic effects.
As the Smithsonian reports, the search to uncover the Bard’s recreational activities began in 2001. South African anthropologist Francis Thackeray used technology from a narcotics crime lab to determine the kinds of substances smoked in 400-year-old pipe fragments found in Stratford-upon-Avon and Shakespeare’s garden.
Some fragments contained residues of nicotine and cocaine, likely from Peruvian coca leaves. Four pipes found at an excavation site in the Bard’s backyard bore a similar chemical signature to that of cannabis. Despite these findings, the results were not conclusive. This is because there is no evidence that Shakespeare himself used the pipes, let alone smoked them.
To this day, Thackery argues that the pipe present compelling evidence. In two articles published in The Independent and the South African Journal of Science, he cites literary and historical evidence, as well as his scientific data.
Shakespeare’s Sonnet 76, for instance, refers to “invention in a noted weed,” as we all as an aversion to “compounds strange.” Thackery interprets these phrases as indicating the Bard’s possible preference for cannabis over cocaine. This is controversial because it is unclear when people began referencing cannabis as weed.
More recently, historians have suggested that Shakespeare’s likeness appeared on a 1598 botanical book. Among other herbs, the book covers a few flavors of tobacco. The connection is weak, at best.
We may never know if Shakespeare did or did not partake in cannabis. According to historian James Shapiro of Columbia University, the interpretation is “dubious.” He said, “We don’t know what Shakespeare did or didn’t do. Just because these pipes were found in his garden doesn’t mean his neighbor kid didn’t throw the pipes over the fence. There are a million possible explanations.”
Related Topics
Related News & Articles
Fashion in India is as ancient as human civilization. It has been interwoven with Indian’s rich culture, history and different regions. What we are seeing now...
Recently posted . 1K views . 3 min read
To get this kind of information and other exclusive articles before regular readers, get on the VIP Mailing List today.
I hav...
Recently posted . 2K views . 4 min read
The whole country was taken aback when Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 8 announced that the currencies in the denominations of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 will b...
Recently posted . 1K views . 4 min read
1. The sun makes up more than 99% of the mass of the solar system.
2. Humans can distinguish between at...
Recently posted . 1K views . 33 min read
PARIS: Legend-slaying scientists on Wednesday dismantled the myth of the abominable snowman, the towering yet furtive half-human rumoured for centu...
Recently posted . 1K views . 2 min read
Trending News & Articles
Quatrain 75, Century X
Long awaited, he will not take birth in Europe,
India will produce the immorta...
Recently posted . 19K views . 2 min read
Secret's of Alauddin Khilji's sexuality
Several historians argue that the roots of ancient Indian history, especially linked to ...
Recently posted . 7K views . 1 min read
The kangaroo is a marsupial. A distinctive characteristic common to marsupials is that, with most, the young are carried around in a pouch. They are mainly found in...
Recently posted . 4K views . 1 min read
There are various challenging stories about Rani Padmavati otherwise known as Padmini. While from one viewpoint, the Rajputs keep up the holiness of everything iden...
Recently posted . 4K views . 1 min read
More in History & Classics
The Appalachian Trail is a 3,500 km hiking trail that stretches from Georgia to Maine. It started as a dream idea by Benton Mackaye and cuts across 14 states of the...
Recently posted. 1K views . 3 min read
1. THE HINDU NUMBER SYSTEM.
With decimal place-value and a symbol for zero, this system was the ancestor of ...
Recently posted. 1K views . 2 min read
Every year around October and November, Hindus around the world celebrate Diwali, or Deepavali—a festival of lights that stretches back more than 2,500 years....
Recently posted. 1K views . 1 min read
Recently posted . 1K views
Recently posted . 554 views
Recently posted . 2K views
Recently posted . 2K views
The death of King Kamehameha II and Queen Kamamalu was a harbinger of disaster.
Recently posted. 1K views . 0 min read
Senior advocate and amicus curiae (impartial adviser to court) Amrendra Sharan, submitted his report on Mahatma Gandhi's assassination to the Supreme Court on M...
Recently posted. 1K views . 2 min read