The Shakespeare-in-the-Park production of “Julius Caesar” has the Right up in arms about the image of Donald Trump being assassinated. The timeliest lesson of the play, however, is the way that Marc Antony slyly slides in to take power. Think of him as Mitch McConnell quietly preparing to repeal Obamacare and deprive millions of healthcare while the nation focuses on Senate hearings.
Tag Archives: William Shakespeare
Sly Marc Antony Resembles McConnell
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged ACA, AHCA, health care, Julius Caesar, Mitch McConnell, politics, Russia investigation Comments closed
Trump’s Cabinet as Goneril and Regan
Everyday, it seems, Trump proves to us that he’s King Lear. The latest example is when he subjected his Cabinet to a love test.
Will No One Rid Me of This Russia Probe?
When former FBI Director James Comey, in his testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee, quoted Henry II–“Will no one rid me of this meddlesome priest”–he brought to mind both T.S. Eliot’s “Murder in the Cathedral” and Shakespeare’s “Richard II.” He took the right lessons from history by not murdering the Russia investigation.
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged Donald Trump, Henry II, James Comey, Murder in the Cathedral, Richard II, Russia investigation, St. Thomas A. Becket, T. S. Eliot Comments closed
Shakespeare for a Midsummer Wedding
A couple of years ago a former student opted for a “Midsummer Night’s Dream”-themed wedding. For many reasons, it was a perfect choice.
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged Marriage, Midsummer Night's Dream, ritual, sexuality, Weddings Comments closed
Will Trump, Like Lear, Take Us All Down?
“The Washington Post” recently found numerous parallels between Lear and our own president, with “his zigzagging proclamations, his grandiose promises, his spasmodic attachments.”
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged Donald Trump, GOP, James Comey, King Lear, politics Comments closed
Something Rotten in the States of America
There is something rotten in Denmark and something rotten in the White House. The parallels between “Hamlet” and Trumpism are considerable.
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged Donald Trump, electoral fraud, Hamlet, Russian investigation Comments closed
A Literary History of the Insult “Cuck”
“Cuck” has become a favorite insult amongst alt-right types. In today’s post I trace literary references to cuckolds going back to Chaucer.
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged alt-right, As You Like It, Canterbury Tales, Christopher Marlowe, Country Wife, cuckold jokes, cuckolds, cuckservatives, Doctor Faustus, Donald Trump, Geoffrey Chaucer, Miller's Tale, Othello, William Wycherley Comments closed
Trump as Lear, Howling in the Storm
Donald Trump has a lot in common with King Lear. I suspect, however, that Lear has the happier ending.
