Another day, another international crisis, in this case, the anonymous sabotage of natural gas pipelines under the Baltic Sea, intended to bring fuel to Europe from Russia, a project held in abeyance by the Ukraine war. At this moment it is very unclear who did it, and since only very sophisticated actors would be capable of perpetrating this bombing, it’s a true global whodunit. Shakespeare deals with sabotage perhaps most deeply in Hamlet, with the largest example being King Claudius’ attempt to persuade Laertes to duel Hamlet with a poisoned …

“If I gall him slightly, it may be death”: Hamlet and sabotaged natural gas pipelines Read More »

With the passing of Queen Elizabeth II after 70 years on the British throne, we have the chance to look at how Shakespeare, writing during the 40-year reign of Elizabeth I, had his characters eulogize the death of an even earlier monarch, the warrior-hero of early England Henry V who died of battlefield dysentery in France, even as Britain reveled in the revenge he had wrought on France some 350 years after William the Conqueror had arrived in the opposite direction.   Shakespeare has a series of great lords eulogize Henry …

‘Hung be the heavens with black’: Queen Elizabeth II, Henry V, and Shakespearean Eulogies Read More »

King Lear, betrayed by two of his three daughters after he abdicated in their favor, and believing himself betrayed by the third, Cordelia, is in turmoil. He is wandering about outside, exposed to the elements in the midst of a thunderstorm. Nature’s violence strikes a chord within him. His servant implores him to take refuge in a summer home on Martha’s Vineyard; no, that’s not right, in a hovel occupied by the homeless. Our present-day homeless are the refugee Venezuelans who were brought to this heavenly island on a flight …

“Poor naked wretches”: King Lear rails against the plutocrats of Martha’s Vineyard Read More »

Does anybody really know what time it is? Shakespeare deals with the situation where someone who is fundamentally uninterested in everyday practical matters – like the time of day – inquires about them as if they do care. We can think about practically any politician pretending to care about the budget (what time is it? Late, much too late), or, say, Leonardo DeCaprio pretending to care about the environment while cruising in his superyacht (what time is it? Again long past time to drop such hypocrisy.) And here is Shakespeare’s …

‘Thou art so fat-witted with drinking’ : Prince Hal, Falstaff, and pretending to care Read More »