A timely, clever analysis of why Shakespeare continues to cast a spell over American politics
The readiness is all. Ever since president John Adams rewrote a passage from Henry V to demonstrate how a foreign power might conspire to place a more pliable president in the White House, Shakespeare’s plays have been at the heart of America’s debate about itself.
Today, with the United States more disrupted than ever, and with a make-or-break election looming, Prof Shapiro, the author of 1599: A Year in the life of William Shakespeare, is once again right on the money. He has plunged fearlessly into the enthralling afterlife of the Complete Works to examine the strange and potent dialogue between Shakespeare’s 400-year-old theatre and the drama of contemporary American politics.
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Source: US Politics - theguardian.com
