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
Trending News & Articles
While the Uttarakhand High Court has asked to block 857 websites, the Ministry of Electronics and IT (Meity) found 30 portals without any pornographic content.
...
Recently posted . 64K views . 1 min read
The four boys as well as five school officials, including the director and principal, were arrested after the incident. The minors were presented before the Juvenil...
Recently posted . 10K views . 1 min read
Rahul was having an Italian passport and was carrying suitcase full of dollars. Some say it was about was it $2 million.
Rahul and his girl friend was th...
Recently posted . 9K views . 7 min read
True – Tr...
Recently posted . 8K views . 83 min read
More in History & Classics
As many as 40 alleged criminals have been killed, and 247 injured, in over 1,200 encounters carried out in 12 months by police in Yogi Adityanath's Uttar Prad...
Recently posted. 988 views . 1 min read
The Olympian also challenges cricketer Virat Kohli, actor Hrithik Roshan and badminton player Saina Nehwal to join in.
Recently posted. 996 views . 0 min read
Among the numerous things Prime Minister Narendra Modi is probably going to discuss in his fourth Independence Day discourse this month is a proposition to change a...
Recently posted. 832 views . 22 min read
Recently posted . 1K views
Recently posted . 457 views
Recently posted . 2K views
Recently posted . 2K views
Recently posted . 4K views . 42 min read
Recently posted . 3K views . 34 min read
The Dam Safety Bill, aimed at developing uniform safety procedures for all dams across the country, has been introduced in the Lok Sabha for the third time.
Recently posted. 840 views . 1 min read
The course modules have been carefully designed to cover mathematical and algorithmic foundations, artificial intelligence fundamentals and several modules on stati...
Recently posted. 777 views . 1 min read