Folger Shakespeare Library, 201 E. Capitol St. SE; through Oct. 26, free; 202-544-4600. (Capitol South) The spear was probably a play on the Bard’s name, says manuscript curator Heather Wolfe.

But by 1596, the Bard sought something more to cement his standing among the Elizabethan upper crust: A family coat of arms. Acquiring the ultimate medieval status symbol was no small thing.

His son pursued the issue, Sylvia Morris at The Shakespeare Blog reports, eventually getting a coat of arms for his family in 1596 based on his great-grandfather’s military service and John ...

Shakespeare obtained a coat of arms for his father in October 1596, it has been estimated that he might have paid as much as £20 for it. Between 1570 and 1630, there were 45 'gentlemen' in ...

Having scoured Elizabethan archives, Dr Wolfe has unearthed evidence including previously unknown depictions of Shakespeare's coat of arms from the seventeenth century which cast new light on ...

A W – for William? And Or? A few months before it was engraved, Shakespeare’s father was granted a coat of arms with a golden background. The heraldic term for gold is Or. Griffiths also ...

The historian added that living in a place like London would have “enhanced Shakespeare’s status as he developed his career, sought a family coat of arms and planned to buy an impressive and ...

he too buys a coat of arms, with the motto “Not Without Mustard.” Ms. Duncan-Jones argued that Shakespeare’s sexuality likely leaned toward men. In her book she offered thorough readings of ...