To understand Iago’s motivations, think status anxiety–the fear of losing cultural and social dominance over “the Other.”
Tag Archives: William Shakespeare
Hand Washing and the Coronavirus
The coronavirus is leading to a focus on hand washing, which brings Lady Macbeth to mind.
Literature’s Unique Spiritual Insights
An extended reflection upon the relationship between religion and literature.
Support Trump or Your Head on a Pike
To avoid having their heads hoisted on pikes, once moderate Republicans voted to acquit Trump. The pike reference comes from Shakespeare.
How Trump Is Like and Unlike Claudius
Unlike Claudius in “Hamlet,” who at least thinks he is accountable to God, Trump doesn’t think he should be accountable to anyone.
The GOP, through the Looking Glass
Cartoonist Tom Toles has a very smart Alice-through-the-Looking-Glass take on Trump and the GOP.
Taming Americans through Gaslighting
Increasingly we are being gaslighted by Donald Trump and his GOP followers. Carl Rosin identifies “Taming of the Shrew” as one of the great plays about gaslighting.
Trump Love: I Lie with Him and He with Me
Shakespeare Sonnets 138 and 147 describe Trump Love only too well.
Is Old Age Becoming Overrated?
A “New Yorker” article on aging turns to literature to debunk the notion that aging is a good thing.

