Shakespeare and Pals: Recapping the Bard

A 19th Century Norwegian naturalistic social drama... It's much more exciting than it sounds.

Nora and Torvald seem to have the perfect middle-class marriage, but one Christmas a secret from Nora's past comes back to haunt her. Years ago, for her husband's sake, she committed a little crime. Now she's being blackmailed. In 24 hours, can Nora make this whole thing go away?

Join Michael and Sophie to discuss Henrik Ibsen's magnum opus!

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Source:

Oxford World's Classics: Four Major Plays: Doll's House; Ghosts; Hedda Gabler; and The Master Builder

What price would you pay for your brother's life? Your life? Your body?

The Duke's left town, leaving the puritanical Angelo in charge. Suddenly, pre-marital intercourse will get you the death penalty. After a night with his girl, Claudio gets locked up, and he begs his sister Isabella to beg Angelo for mercy. Angelo says he will let Claudio go... if she gives Angelo her body! What will she do?

How does Shakespeare tackle this moral dilemna? Join Michael and Sophie to find out!

Make sure to subscribe and share this podcast! Comments and questions can be sent to shakespeare.pals@gmail.com

Sources: 

The Oxford Shakespeare: Measure for Measure (Oxford University Press)

Shakespeare: The Critical Heritage, edited by Brian Vickers (Routledge)

Shakespeare needed to steal his stories from somewhere.

We just did All's Well That Ends Well, but did you know Shakespeare nicked the plot from Boccaccio's Decameron? The Decameron is foundational work of Italian and Renaissance literature. A set of short stories by turns savage, funny, and bawdy.

But it's not just men writing short stories in the Renaissance. Marguerite, Queen of Navarre, gave it a go with the Heptameron. And would you believe her tales are punchier, bloodier, and darker than Boccaccio's?

Join us to discuss the Decameron (Day 3, Tale 9) and two tales from the Heptameron.

Sources:

Giovanni Boccaccio, The Decameron, Penguin.

Marguerite, Queen of Navarre, The Heptameron,

Helena loves Count Bertram, but fears he'll never love a commoner. She's right. 

We're in the Kingdom of France, and the King is dying of disease. None of his doctors can help, but Helena's dead doctor dad left her a special medicinal formula. In exchange for saving the King's life, the King will let her choose any man she likes for a husband. She chooses her childhood friend Count Bertram. Rather than marry a commoner, Bertram runs away to war. Can Helena snare her man?

Is all well in "All's Well"? Join Michael and Sophie to find out!

Make sure to subscribe and share this podcast! Comments and questions can be sent to shakespeare.pals@gmail.com

Sources: 

The Oxford Shakespeare: All's Well That Ends Well (Oxford University Press)

Shakespeare: The Critical Heritage, edited by Brian Vickers (Routledge)

Shakespeare's the boss of English literature. Homer's the boss of Western literature!

After the Trojan War, lying Odysseus is running a bit late to return home. But he has a good excuse! Gods and goddesses are getting in his way, throwing cyclopses, sea monsters, comely sorceresses at him.

Is the foundational text of Western literature a ripping yarn? Join Michael and Sophie to find out!

Make sure to subscribe and share this podcast! Comments and questions can be sent to shakespeare.pals@gmail.com

Sources:

The Odyssey, Homer (trans. Emily Wilson), W. W. Norton & Company.