Henry V: one of the most patriotic characters and plays in all of literature, surely? Not so, says Sheldrake. Henry V and his world are thoroughly morally ambiguous.
Also available on iTunes: http://tinyurl.com/ndhzfxm
Henry V
Short SoS – Falstaff Again
Falstaff will exceed the bounds of whatever box you try to put him in, a truth I found out for myself in the last Short Sheldrake on Shakespeare. I return to complete some unfinished business on this occasion, finishing off some remarks about why Falstaff is so popular in the Henry IV plays and giving some thought to his influence after his off-stage death early in Henry V.
Also available on iTunes: http://tinyurl.com/ndhzfxm
Short SoS – Why is Falstaff so popular?
Sir John Falstaff is a river who has burst his banks. He has taken on a life beyond Shakespeare’s plays and become a myth in his own right. Anybody who has a thirst for life is described as Falstaffian, he has had operas written for him, actors at the mature height of their comic powers have repeatedly enjoyed success as this embodiment of festivity and he remains an unassailable favourite with audiences. Is he just very entertaining, or is there more to it than that?
Also available on iTunes: http://tinyurl.com/ndhzfxm
Short SoS – Review – The Genius of Shakespeare by Jonathan Bate
In a new Book Review format designed to highlight a few critical classics to add to the shelves, Sheldrake outlines the relative merits of Professor Jonathan Bate’s acclaimed 1997 book The Genius of Shakespeare.
Also available on iTunes: http://tinyurl.com/ndhzfxm
Short SoS – Shakespeare the Magpie
Shakespeare nicked stuff from everywhere; prose narratives, history books, other plays. Sheldrake rattles through a few of the old chestnuts and a few of the lesser-known borrowings, showing Shakespeare as a great adapter of stories.
Subscribe on iTunes: http://tinyurl.com/ndhzfxm
Measure for Measure – A society play
In a resumption of normal service that is perhaps not quite the triumphant return he would like, Sheldrake confesses himself drawn more to the ideas of Measure for Measure than its drama. The discussions of Virtue and Justice in the play are strikingly front and centre, and the social aspects of these philosophical ideas form the matter of this episode. Dodging the comedy/dark comedy/tragicomedy/problem play debate, Sheldrake gives you Measure for Measure; a play about the nature of society.
Subscribe on iTunes: http://tinyurl.com/ndhzfxm
Short SoS – Play Dates
How do we know when Shakespeare wrote each of his plays? Well, there are several methods of dating a play. Sheldrake rattles through them, taking in a couple of 1590s Michael Billingtons along the way.
Also available on iTunes: http://tinyurl.com/ndhzfxm
Sheldrake on Shakespeare 