One of Shakespeare’s four great tragedies, The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice (ca. 1603) is perhaps the most difficult of them to watch. The malevolent Iago, viewed by some as evil incarnate, has been infuriating audiences for centuries – legend has it that at one performance in the Old West, a cowboy in the audience was so offended by Iago’s machina ... Show More
Jun 15
810 "The Necklace" by Guy de Maupassant (with Mike Palindrome)
Guy de Maupassant (1850-1893) is widely regarded as one of the greatest short story writers in history. Among his admirers were Flaubert, who befriended and mentored the younger writer, and later masters of the form like Joyce and Chekhov, who were both deeply influenced by Maupa ... Show More
1h 14m
Jun 8
808 A Treacherous Secret Agent - How Literature Spoke Truth to Power During the Red Scare (with Marjorie Garber) | Arthur Miller on Writing "The Crucible"
During the Cold War, hearings led by U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy soon turned into a witch hunt, as paranoia and political opportunism destroyed the careers (and lives) of actors, directors, singers, filmmakers, writers, and prominent scientists who were accused of disloyalty, su ... Show More
56m 45s
Aug 2022
Othello by William Shakespeare ~ Full Audiobook [tragedy]
Othello by William Shakespeare audiobook. Genre: tragedy In the glittering, volatile world of Venetian power and military prestige, Othello, a celebrated Moorish general, has risen through skill and courage to command respect. But his private life becomes the talk of the city whe ... Show More
3h 10m
Aug 2025
Molière: Satire, Scandal & the Stage
Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by Professor Jan Clarke to explore the life, legend, and legacy of Jean-Baptiste Poquelin — better known as Molière. From his audacious rejection of bourgeois expectations to his controversial plays that rattled the Catholic Church and deligh ... Show More
49m 38s
Nov 2023
Richard Schoch, "Shakespeare’s House: A Window onto his Life and Legacy" (Bloomsbury, 2023)
In the wide realm of Shakespeare worship, the house in Stratford-upon-Avon where William Shakespeare was born in 1564 – known colloquially as the 'Birthplace' – remains the chief shrine. It's not as romantic as Anne Hathaway's thatched cottage, it's not where he wrote any of his ... Show More
59m 26s
Sep 2024
Raging Misogynist or Original Social Justice Warrior? The Murky Life of Euripides
We have more of Euripides' work than either of the other tragedians combined and yet the details of his life, him as a real person composing real art, are frustratingly lacking. And when they're not lacking, they're often just slander or wild misunderstandings of history. Today w ... Show More
38m 43s