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In Our Time: Is Shakespeare History? The Romans

18/10/2018

Is Shakespeare History? The Romans

BBC Radio 4 - In Our Time, Is Shakespeare History? The Romans

Melvyn Bragg discusses the impact of Shakespeare's approach to history (programme 2 of 2).

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Shakespeare's treatment of Roman history, where he had scope to explore ideas too threatening for English histories.

In the second of two programmes marking In Our Time's 20th anniversary on 15th October, Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Shakespeare's versions of history, continuing with the Roman plays. Rome was the setting for Titus Andronicus, Julius Caesar, Coriolanus and parts of Antony and Cleopatra and these plays gave Shakespeare the chance to explore ideas too controversial for English histories.  How was Shakespeare reimagining Roman history, and what impact has that had on how we see Rome today? 


The image above is of Marlon Brando playing Mark Antony in a scene from the film version of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, 1953

With

Sir Jonathan Bate
Provost of Worcester College, University of Oxford

Catherine Steel
Professor of Classics and Dean of Research in the College of Arts at the University of Glasgow

And 

Patrick Gray
Associate Professor of English Studies at Durham University

Producer: Simon Tillotson

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