If Planches antiquarian researches were first conducted for staging Shakespeare, which took priority, Shakespeares (usually un-historic) descriptions or historical accuracy?
Shakespeare’s words remained the main guide, usually. For instance, Planche dressed Hamlet in black, even though he pointed out that a medieval Danish prince would have worn scarlet–a suit of “sable” on a royal person would have been unthinkable in that society. However, there were some limitations for him. When, in “The Winter’s Tale,” one nation is said to be Bohemia, Shakespeare objects because Bohemia is entirely landlocked, and the nation is described as having a coast. He suggested changing it to “Bithynia,” an ancient region in southeastern Europe, and then dressing and staging the play accordingly. He argued that it was a very small change, after all, and would allow some very picturesque costumes and scenery to be used!
