author
Benjamin Rush Field
1861–1935
A Pennsylvania physician, civic leader, and literary enthusiast, he is best remembered for bringing a doctor's eye to Shakespeare. His writing blends medical knowledge with a real affection for literature, making familiar plays feel fresh and surprising.
1 Audiobook
Medical Thoughts of Shakespeare
by Benjamin Rush Field
About the author
Born in Easton, Pennsylvania, in 1861, Benjamin Rush Field built a varied career as a physician, public servant, and author. Contemporary biographical records describe him as an influential figure in local life, and he also served as mayor of Easton in the 1890s and early 1900s.
Field is most closely associated with Medical Thoughts of Shakespeare, a work that explores illness, healing, and medical language across Shakespeare's plays. The book reflects both his professional training and his long-standing interest in Shakespeare, showing how comfortably he moved between medicine and literature.
He died in 1935, leaving behind a reputation that joined civic service with scholarly curiosity. For listeners today, his work offers a glimpse of an era when an author could be at once a doctor, a community leader, and an eager reader of the classics.