The Shakespearean Student

I delve into the man and myth of Cardinal Thomas Woolsey, the power behind Henry VIII's throne, whom Shakespeare portrays as a hypocritical, corrupt, and duplicitous villain. Is this historical interpretation valid? Judge for yourself.

A little witches' brew for your Halloween party: I talk about the tropes of "Macbeth" that are subtly deconstructed in "Hocus Pocus 2" and "Brave." I talk about how these films explore themes of isolation, patriarchy, feminism, and fear of female power. I also lament how these films touch on these issues but in many ways do not go far enough.

I tell the story of King Lear from the point of view of his loyal servant, the Earl of Kent. I'm actually playing this character over Discord and Youtube Live this weekend, so stay tuned for that performance!

A close reading of "O That This Too Too Solid Flesh," "O What A Rogue and Peasant Slave Am I," and "To Be Or Not To Be."

I go through the complex plot of Shakespeare's "Cymbeline," focusing on the heroine Imogen. This will include a close reading of the famous scene in which she wakes up near a headless corpse!

I reminisce with my former director Jeff Chips, who directed me in a production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" back in 2010. We also discuss his philosophy at Steel City Shakespeare, and his upcoming production of "The Merry Wives Of Windsor."

I discuss the film "Anonymous" by Roland Emmerich, which tells the story of Edward DeVere, considered by many to be the true author of Shakespeare's plays.

Some fun and frivolous reflections on Shakespeare's shortest and silliest comedy, "The Comedy Of Errors."

I give dramatic readings and some heartfelt analysis of a wonderful mash-up of Shakespeare and my favorite film series: "William Shakespeare's Star Wars," a play by Ian Droesher.

Special thanks to Online Classical, 123 Apps, Kessel Labs, and of course, Anchor for their technical support in this episode.

I try to unravel the mystery of Shakespeare's most ambiguous character: Brutus from "Julius Caesar."