Folger Shakespeare Library: Shakespeare Unlimited

Shakespeare and Magic


Listen Later

In Shakespeare’s THE TEMPEST, the magician Prospero conjures up a storm, charms his daughter to sleep, and uses his power to control Ariel and other spirits. Is this magic for real, or is Prospero pulling off elaborate illusions?
Fascinated by this question and by Prospero’s relinquishing of magic at the play’s end, Teller (of the magic/comedy team Penn & Teller) co-directed a production of THE TEMPEST with Aaron Posner at Chicago Shakespeare Theater in 2015.
In this episode of Shakespeare Unlimited, Teller joins Barbara Mowat, director of research emerita at the Folger and co-editor of the Folger Editions, to talk about magic in THE TEMPEST and other Shakespeare plays, as well as the attitudes about magic in late sixteenth- and early seventeenth-century England. Teller and Mowat are interviewed by Barbara Bogaev.
From the Shakespeare Unlimited podcast series. © March 8, 2016. Folger Shakespeare Library. All rights reserved. This podcast episode is called “Enter Prospero in His Magic Robes, and Ariel.” It was produced by Richard Paul. Garland Scott is the associate producer. It was edited by Gail Kern Paster and Esther Ferington. We had help from Melissa Marquis at NPR in Washington, Rick Andrews and Casey Morell at Nevada Public Radio in Las Vegas, and Steven Martin at KPCC in Los Angeles.
...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Folger Shakespeare Library: Shakespeare UnlimitedBy Folger Shakespeare Library

  • 4.8
  • 4.8
  • 4.8
  • 4.8
  • 4.8

4.8

802 ratings


More shows like Folger Shakespeare Library: Shakespeare Unlimited

View all
In Our Time by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time

5,420 Listeners

The Book Review by The New York Times

The Book Review

3,863 Listeners

Arts & Ideas by BBC Radio 4

Arts & Ideas

289 Listeners

History Extra podcast by Immediate Media

History Extra podcast

3,180 Listeners

World Book Club by BBC World Service

World Book Club

365 Listeners

Approaching Shakespeare by Oxford University

Approaching Shakespeare

324 Listeners

In Our Time: History by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time: History

1,867 Listeners

In Our Time: Culture by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time: Culture

600 Listeners

The LRB Podcast by The London Review of Books

The LRB Podcast

291 Listeners

London Review Bookshop Podcast by London Review Bookshop

London Review Bookshop Podcast

128 Listeners

The TLS Podcast by The TLS

The TLS Podcast

180 Listeners

The History of Literature by Jacke Wilson / The Podglomerate

The History of Literature

1,101 Listeners

Backlisted by Backlisted

Backlisted

572 Listeners

Gone Medieval by History Hit

Gone Medieval

1,752 Listeners

Close Readings by London Review of Books

Close Readings

66 Listeners