Approaching Shakespeare

by Oxford University

Each lecture in this series focuses on a single play by Shakespeare, and employs a range of different approaches to try to understand a central critical question about it. Rather than providing overarching readings or interpretations, the series aims to show the variety of different ways we might understand Shakespeare, the kinds of evidence that might be used to strengthen our critical analysis, and, above all, the enjoyable and unavoidable fact that Shakespeare's plays tend to generate our questions rather than answer them.

Episodes

Love's Labour's Lost

48m · Published 12 Feb 11:23

Emma Smith continues her Approaching Shakespeare series with a lecture on the play Love's Labour's Lost.

The Two Gentlemen of Verona

44m · Published 15 Dec 12:06

Professor Emma Smith gives the last of her 2017 Shakespeare lectures on his early comedy, Two Gentlemen of Verona.

Henry VI, Part 2

47m · Published 09 Nov 17:49

Professor Emma Smith continues her Approaching Shakespeare series with a 2017 lecture on the early history play, Henry VI, Part 2.

The Merry Wives of Windsor

48m · Published 25 Oct 15:40

Professor Emma Smith lectures on Shakespeare’s The Merry Wives of Windsor.

All's Well That Ends Well

48m · Published 25 Oct 15:31

Professor Emma Smith lectures on Shakespeare’s comedy All's Well That Ends Well.

Cymbeline

50m · Published 25 Oct 13:48

Professor Emma Smith continues her Approaching Shakespeare series with a lecture on one of Shakespeare’s later plays, Cymbeline.

Timon of Athens

54m · Published 23 Jun 11:40

Emma Smith finishes her Approaching Shakespeare series with a lecture on the play Timon of Athens.

Julius Caesar

49m · Published 18 May 15:44

This lecture on Julius Caesar discusses structure, tone, and politics by focusing on the cameo scene with Cinna the Poet.

Romeo and Juliet

44m · Published 05 May 11:39

This lecture on Romeo and Juliet tackles the issue of the spoiler-chorus, in an already-too-familiar play. This podcast is suitable for school and college students.

Coriolanus

52m · Published 05 May 11:03

This lecture takes up a detail from Shakespeare’s late Roman tragedy Coriolanus to ask about the representation of character, the use of sources and the genre of tragedy. This podcast is suitable for school and college students.

Approaching Shakespeare has 32 episodes in total of non- explicit content. Total playtime is 24:51:23. The language of the podcast is English. This podcast has been added on July 28th 2022. It might contain more episodes than the ones shown here. It was last updated on May 8th, 2024 09:40.