Dec 4, 2024

It's time for our annual bonus episode! Join us as we revisit the Shakespeare plays we covered this year. We've gone back and re-read both Romeo and Juliet and Much Ado About Nothing, and we will discuss what has changed in our readings of these plays after completing our research as well as what we would like to see...

Nov 20, 2024

Each year, in recognition of the National Day of Mourning/Thanksgiving holiday in the United States, we examine how British colonialism is irrevocably intertwined with Shakespeare through close reading of Jyotsna Singh's Shakespeare and Postcolonial Theory. In this week's episode, we will explore how Shakespeare’s...

Nov 6, 2024

In today's episode, we will be finishing up our exploration of Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing by watching and discussing three productions. 

First, we will discuss Kenneth Branagh's 1993 film version, starring Kenneth Branagh and Emma Thompson. Then we will take a look at the 2019 Public Theatre's Shakespeare in...

Oct 23, 2024

In today's episode, we are exploring the life of Shakespeare’s contemporary, Aemilia Bassano Lanyer (whose name is also spelled as Emilia Lanier), who was one of the first women in England to publish her writing and is the author of the first published book of poetry by an English woman. 

First, we will explore...

Oct 9, 2024

In today's episode, we are exploring the historical and theatrical context for bastard characters in Shakespeare's plays and other plays of the early modern period. We'll explore the cultural norms that existed for illegitimate children during the Elizabethan and Jacobean and the legal, financial, and social prejudices...