Critical Readings

by CriticalReadings.com

Critical Readings examines key literary texts using close reading and critical analysis, and explains these approaches in discussion. Listeners will learn about the texts themselves and about how to approach a text for critical analysis.

Episodes

CR Episode 222: All for Love, Act II

1h 20m · Published 06 May 16:00

The panel reads the second act of John Dryden's All for Love, with special attention to the rhetorical manoeuvres of Cleopatra, and the psychological state of both Antony and Cleopatra, as their outsized emotional investments doom them both.Continue reading

CR Episode 221: All for Love, Act I

1h 5m · Published 29 Apr 16:00

The panel reads the first act of John Dryden's take on the story of Antony and Cleopatra, All for Love, with a focus on Marc Antony's mental state, the military situation with which he is confronted, and whether he is at fault for his circumstances.Continue reading

CR Episode 220: Antony and Cleopatra, Act V

1h 12m · Published 22 Apr 16:00

The panel concludes with the final act of Antony and Cleopatra, highlighting Octavius' intentions towards his defeated political foe, Cleopatra's attempt to escape the wheel of fate, and the Roman development of Boethius' response to Stoicism.Continue reading

CR Episode 219: Antony and Cleopatra, Act IV

1h 22m · Published 15 Apr 16:00

The panel reads the fourth act of Antony and Cleopatra with particular attention to the character of Marc Antony and his worldview of personal honour and prowess, in conflict with the political schemes and grand designs of both Octavius and Cleopatra.Continue reading

CR Episode 218: Antony and Cleopatra, Act III

1h 21m · Published 01 Apr 16:00

The panel discusses the third act, with a focus on the deterioration of the Roman political situation, Marc Antony's skills as a battlefield leader and a political figure, and the sophisticated psychological understanding of both Octavius and Cleopatra.Continue reading

CR Episode 217: Antony and Cleopatra, Act II

1h 8m · Published 25 Mar 16:00

The panel discusses the second act of Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra, with a focus on the Roman political situation, the difference between republican and dictatorial rule, and Cleopatra's intoxicating effect upon those caught in her orbit.Continue reading

CR Episode 216: Antony and Cleopatra, Act I

1h 17m · Published 18 Mar 16:00

The panel reads the first act of Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra, providing an historical overview of the events, and reading the text with attention given to the psychological motivations of the drama and their historical context within Roman culture.Continue reading

CR Episode 215: Introduction to Lady Mary Wroth

1h 11m · Published 11 Mar 16:00

The panel reads three poems by Lady Mary Wroth, from The Countess of Montgomery's Urania and Pamphilia to Amphilanthus, discussing their context, social impact, and the paradox of their genre conventionality but also Elizabethan authorial radicalism.Continue reading

CR Episode 214: The Poetry of N. Scott Momaday

58m · Published 04 Mar 17:00

The panel reads three poems by N. Scott Momaday, including "The Delight Song of Tsoai-talee", "The Monoliths", and "Rings of Bone" with special attention to the usage of active and passive symbolism, and the function of time, stasis, and circularity.Continue reading

CR Episode 213: Bartleby, the Scrivener

1h 39m · Published 19 Feb 17:00

The panel discusses Melville's short story, "Bartleby, the Scrivener", and examines the symbolism of its characters, the meaning of Bartleby's passive resistance, and the various interpretations of the work in light of history and literary theory.Continue reading

Critical Readings has 222 episodes in total of non- explicit content. Total playtime is 254:11:40. The language of the podcast is English. This podcast has been added on August 4th 2022. It might contain more episodes than the ones shown here. It was last updated on May 18th, 2024 15:10.