"Cry God for Harry, England and St George!"

Henry V’s call to arms unites two heroes of England, both celebrated on 23 April. William Shakespeare, Englands national poet/playwright and author of "Henry V", is believed to have been born and to have died on 23 April (in 1564 and 1616, respectively). St George, the Patron Saint of England, has his saint’s day on 23 April.

But who were they? What do we know about the man from Warwickshire and the man from Syria? It’s a complicated jigsaw with many of the pieces missing or doubtful, but the following sources will help our quest.

The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography*

The ODNB has an entries for both men. William Shakespeare moved to London in the 1590s, furthering his career as an actor and then as a playwright. 1200 years earlier, a cult started in Palestine devoted to George, probably martyred for being a Christian by the Roman Emperor Diocletian.

Xreferplus brings together scores of reference works which include entries on Shakespeare and St George. Perhaps the most useful part of Xreferplus for St George and Shakespeare is the Bridgeman Art Library, which has many pictures of St George (usually depicted killing the dragon), as well as pictures of monuments and churches devoted to the saint.
William Shakespeare is also well covered, with (possible) pictures of the man himself, and lots of depictions of characters from his plays.

If you enter Shakespeare into the search box, you get:

• an article on Shakespeare and music from the Oxford Dictionary of Music;
• lots and lots of different articles from A Dictionary of Shakespeare;
• “Shakespeare in Translation” from the Oxford Companion to the Theatre;
• some extremely dodgy rhymes for "Shakespeare" from the Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes.

And if you try "St George", you get:

• a definition of a St George’s Cross from the Concise Oxford Dictionary;
• an article about the Mummers’ Play (or St George’s Play) from the Oxford Companion to English Literature;
• a description of a St George’s Mushroom, named because it appears around 23 April.

*The resources named above are all Exclusive Websites for library members. They can be accessed straightaway on a library computer; outside the library, you will need a library card to log on. To reach them, go to http://www.westminster.gov.uk/libraries/ict/exclusive.cfm

The Westminster Libraries Gateway to Websites

Try categories including Beliefs (St George); Stage & Screen (Shakespeare); Books & Literature (Shakespeare) and History (both). You will find the Gateway to Websites at: http://www.westminster.gov.uk/libraries/gateway/

So, if you want to know more about St George or Shakespeare, we’ve got the facts - and the legends, and the fiction.