Shakespeare was looking in two directions when composing 1 Henry IV. He was looking back to Homer and the Iliad in order to view English history against the background of the classical heroic tradition. At the same time, he was looking at contemporary events in the court of Elizabeth. Essay
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Kristol and Cantor discuss how Shakespeare used plays set in ancient Rome to explore themes such as republicanism, political greatness, and tyranny. Conversation
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Cantor explains why we should study Shakespeare’s Roman plays, and interprets Coriolanus. Paul Cantor analyzes Julius Caesar, and the impact of philosophy on Roman politics. Conversation
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Paul Cantor explains and debunks the prominent arguments suggesting that Shakespeare could not have written his plays. Cantor and Kristol discuss what the “Shakespeare Authorship Question” reveals about our own ideas about literary genius. Conversation
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How could anyone have come up with works of the magnitude of Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, and Macbeth in the space of a few seasons writing for the London stage?
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If you really want to learn something about Shakespeare, go back to the plays. Book Review
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