Sunil Malapati

The cost of the wars is keenly felt both by the nobles and the commoners as two “monsters” stand in opposition to each other: the misshapen Richard of York and the serpent-tongued Queen Margaret. Fortunes ebb and flow between the Yorkists and Lancastrians. The childlike and saintly King Henry VI tries to keep himself apart from the fray, but horror intrudes into every aspect of life. Discussion Topics: The horrors of civil […]

Richard III is a singular charismatic monster; he both dominates the play and has seeped so far into the cultural consciousness as to surpass historical ‘truth’. Shakespeare ingeniously structures the play as an unrelenting ascent to power followed by an equally steep decline in fortunes; Richard invites the audience into his confidence during the ascent so we feel deliciously complicit in his schemes and then stare in horror as it all goes […]

Edward III is one of the most consequential kings of England, establishing it as a military force and conquering France. The play starts with his campaign in Scotland, and his attempted wooing of the Countess of Salisbury. The king learns valuable lessons in character and then attempts to conquer France in the second half of the play. His son, the charismatic Black Prince, plays a huge role in the battles. Discussion Topics: […]

Shakespeare’s first tragedy is a revenge drama between Roman General Titus and Goth Queen Tamora, with their children caught in between. Quick shifts in political power and differences in ethics and morality between constituencies drive much of the action. Discussion Topics: Cycles of Violence: Revenge cycles often involve disproportionate responses where the retribution exceeds the original wrongdoing. How does Shakespeare structure the revenge cycles and ameliorate audience disengagement? Fragility of the Rule […]

The titular two gentlemen start out as friends, but inconstancy in love leads to strife. The play features the first instance of cross-dressing, much used and abused in Shakespeare’s later comedies. The cast is small, comic plots abound, but the dog Crab steals the show along with its master Launce. Discussion Topics: Friendship and love are the dominant themes with women intruding on male brotherhood. The climactic scene is ambiguous in how […]

Suitors are lining up for the lovely Bianca, but her father refuses to let her be wooed until her elder sister, Katherina, the titular shrew is wedded. The suitors draft the treasure hunter Petruchio to woo and wed Katherina, after which he successfully ‘tames’ her and shows off the seemingly obedient Katherina at Bianca’s wedding. Discussion Topics: Induction: the process or action of bringing about or giving rise to something. Taming is […]

Shakespeare’s shortest play is also his most farcical comedy with multiple mistaken identities. Two sets of identical twins, the masters both named Antipholus and the servants both named Dromio are separated at birth. One set grows up in Syracuse and comes to Ephesus to find the other, and every possible combination of master and servant happens resulting in gleeful chaos.   Discussion Topics: Comedy starts with a serious ticking clock where Egeon […]

Synopsis: Shakespeare’s first published work Venus and Adonis is a lyrical tale of goddess Venus being infatuated with and pursuing the youthful hunter Adonis. The narrative is witty and erotic with supporting tangential stories of animals. The other long narrative poem The Rape of Lucrece is more somber and portrays the lust of Tarquin and the subsequent shame experienced by Lucrece devoting very few lines to the rape itself. Lucrece’s lament takes […]

Synopsis: A college comedy with four pairs of lovers and a delightful sendup of pedantry. The King of Navarre and his three friends take an oath to devote themselves to studies and forswear women. The Princess of France and her three friends arrive soon after setting up a raucous farce that is also one of his subtlest explorations of language itself. Discussion Topics: As the title implies, love and endless ruminations on […]

Synopsis: In this, the most famous love tragedy of all time, Shakespeare’s doomed lovers find each other in a violent society beset with ancient grudges. Exquisite poetry, memorable characters and a relentless pace immerse the audience into the world of the play. Discussion Topics: How is love portrayed in this quintessential love story? What devices does Shakespeare employ to delineate Romeo and Juliet’s love to make it bigger and truer than what […]

Synopsis: A royal wedding from Greek mythology. Two pairs of lovers with all sorts of love triangles. A troupe of amateur actors. A quarrel between the faerie queen and the faerie king. And the delightful faerie mischief-maker Puck with assorted woodland creatures from the English countryside. Shakespeare’s second shortest play sets up all these plot strands and lets them collide into each other while creating a panoply of memorable characters. Discussion Topics: […]