In which I compare England transcendent goal scorer Harry Kane to Shakespeare’s Henry V.
Tag Archives: William Shakespeare
What to Make of the Resurgence of Macho
With Pete Hegseth’s over-the-top exhibition of macho, I look at the history of literary cuckold jokes, which reveal the anxieties of insecure men.
How Sports Spurred My Literary Imagination
In which I examine my longtime relationship with sports, along with some of its literary associations.
The Tempest and Our Own Coup Attempts
We can see our current electoral politics, and the threats to social order, in Shakespeare’s “Tempest.”
The Loneliness of the Tyrant
Trump is a Richard III figure. A Robert Hayden poem tells us how to counter him.
Mercutio’s False Equivalence
Mercutio’s words, “A plague on both your houses,” can be damaging if applied to our current two political parties.
Measure for Measure and Our Religious Hypocrites
Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure, about a pious but corrupt judge, captures many of our own political figures that are brandishing their religion.
The Madness of Donald Trump
In which I compare Trump’s madness with that of King Lear.

