Shakespeare & Politics

Video / 90 Min / Conversations with Bill Kristol

Conversation with Bill Kristol

SYNOPSIS

Kristol and Cantor discuss how Shakespeare used plays set in ancient Rome to explore themes such as republicanism, political greatness, and tyranny.

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Paul Cantor recalls his Shakespeare-obsessed youth in Brooklyn and how he came to see Shakespeare as a “political” thinker. Contemporary directors often change the localities and eras of Shakespeare’s plays for “creative” purposes. Cantor explains why this is a mistake. According to Cantor, Shakespeare was unique in world history in his ability to write both comedy and tragedy. How did he do it? Kristol and Cantor discuss how Shakespeare used plays set in ancient Rome to explore themes such as republicanism, political greatness, and tyranny.

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