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Is Shakespeare still relevant today? How does his work influence pop culture today? Do the themes of his plays continue to resonate with modern audiences or as a result of his legacy has he become a caricature of himself? Stephen Regan, accompanied by experts from the world Shakespeare congress examine Shakespeare ‘s work from a critical perspective, putting his plays in historical and social context as well as making a critical analysis of the broader questions of performance and audience interaction throughout history.
Track 4: New historicism and cultural materialism
A discussion debating these two different methods of analysing Shakespeare's work.
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Tracks in this podcast:
| Track | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shakespeare: A cultural icon | Why has Shakespeare become such a cultural hero? Play now Shakespeare: A cultural icon |
| 2 | Shakespeare and popular culture | How Shakespeare has influenced contemporary popular culture. Play now Shakespeare and popular culture |
| 3 | Shakespeare: A critical analysis | How we use our personal influences and theoretical positions to inform our reading of Shakespeare. Play now Shakespeare: A critical analysis |
| 4 | New historicism and cultural materialism | A discussion debating these two different methods of analysing Shakespeare's work. Play now New historicism and cultural materialism |
| 5 | Midsummer Nights Dream: Love and Feminism | Were Shakespeare's women denied the right to choose their own lovers? Play now Midsummer Nights Dream: Love and Feminism |
| 6 | Shakespeare and colonialism | How our perception of Shakespeare's plays can be changed when viewed in an alternative context. Play now Shakespeare and colonialism |
| 7 | Gender and gender relations in Shakespeare's plays | Different themes often examined such as relationships and femenism and how they're explored within Shakespeare's texts. Play now Gender and gender relations in Shakespeare's plays |
| 8 | Shakespeare and performance | The importance of a performance and the impact diferent depictions of his work. Play now Shakespeare and performance |
| 9 | Shakespeare and audience experience | Audience interaction and expectation of Shakespeare's plays. Play now Shakespeare and audience experience |
| 10 | Evaluating Shakespeare's work | Concluding opinions assessing Shakespeare and his reputation. Play now Evaluating Shakespeare's work |
| 11 | Shakespeare: Original pronunciation | An introduction by David and Ben Crystal to the 'Original Pronunciation' production of Shakespeare and what they reveal about the history of the English language. Play now Shakespeare: Original pronunciation |
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