Approaching Shakespeare

Oxford University

Each lecture in this series focuses on a single play by Shakespeare, and employs a range of different approaches to try to understand a central critical question about it. Rather than providing overarching readings or interpretations, the series aims to show the variety of different ways we might understand Shakespeare, the kinds of evidence that might be used to strengthen our critical analysis, and, above all, the enjoyable and unavoidable fact that Shakespeare's plays tend to generate our questions rather than answer them.

  • 48 minutes 6 seconds
    Love's Labour's Lost
    Emma Smith continues her Approaching Shakespeare series with a lecture on the play Love's Labour's Lost.
    12 February 2024, 11:23 am
  • 44 minutes 47 seconds
    The Two Gentlemen of Verona
    Professor Emma Smith gives the last of her 2017 Shakespeare lectures on his early comedy, Two Gentlemen of Verona.
    15 December 2017, 12:06 pm
  • 47 minutes 48 seconds
    Henry VI, Part 2
    Professor Emma Smith continues her Approaching Shakespeare series with a 2017 lecture on the early history play, Henry VI, Part 2.
    9 November 2017, 5:49 pm
  • 48 minutes 29 seconds
    The Merry Wives of Windsor
    Professor Emma Smith lectures on Shakespeare’s The Merry Wives of Windsor.
    25 October 2017, 3:40 pm
  • 48 minutes 19 seconds
    All's Well That Ends Well
    Professor Emma Smith lectures on Shakespeare’s comedy All's Well That Ends Well.
    25 October 2017, 3:31 pm
  • 50 minutes 28 seconds
    Cymbeline
    Professor Emma Smith continues her Approaching Shakespeare series with a lecture on one of Shakespeare’s later plays, Cymbeline.
    25 October 2017, 1:48 pm
  • 54 minutes 49 seconds
    Timon of Athens
    Emma Smith finishes her Approaching Shakespeare series with a lecture on the play Timon of Athens.
    23 June 2015, 11:40 am
  • 49 minutes 34 seconds
    Julius Caesar
    This lecture on Julius Caesar discusses structure, tone, and politics by focusing on the cameo scene with Cinna the Poet.
    18 May 2015, 3:44 pm
  • 44 minutes 15 seconds
    Romeo and Juliet
    This lecture on Romeo and Juliet tackles the issue of the spoiler-chorus, in an already-too-familiar play. This podcast is suitable for school and college students.
    5 May 2015, 11:39 am
  • 52 minutes 32 seconds
    Coriolanus
    This lecture takes up a detail from Shakespeare’s late Roman tragedy Coriolanus to ask about the representation of character, the use of sources and the genre of tragedy. This podcast is suitable for school and college students.
    5 May 2015, 11:03 am
  • 43 minutes 34 seconds
    The Merchant of Venice
    This lecture on The Merchant of Venice discusses the ways the play's personal relationships are shaped by models of financial transaction, using the casket scenes as a central example.
    20 November 2012, 4:55 pm
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