Undiscovered Countries - Shakespeare and the Nation

Synopsis: Five young scholars re-evaluate the playwrights work. The second programme is delivered by James Loxley, Professor of Early Modern Literature in the University of Edinburgh. At a time when relationships between the UK and the rest of Europe, and between the UK’s own constituent nations, looks more unsettled than for many years, Loxley explores what light Shakespeare’s plays might throw on questions of national identity and the political debates that can grow up around them. He starts by considering Henry V, for which Shakespeare is often depicted as a celebrant of untroubled Englishness, going on to explain that during Shakespeare’s most creative period, the very name and nature of the country was in dispute, with the concept of "Great Britain" becoming a prospect for the first time.
Series: Essay: Shakespeare 400, The
Language: English
Country: Great Britain
Medium: Radio
Subjects: Drama
Keywords: Shakespeare, William (1564-1616); national identity