The hottest Shakespeare Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Shakespeare the economist.

The Common Reader • 992 implied HN points • 06 Feb 25
📚 Literature Shakespeare Economics Human nature Social Issues Debt
  1. Shakespeare understood economics really well. He used themes like wealth and trade in his plays to show how money affects human relationships.
  2. His work highlights the moral issues of money, like debt and lending. For example, in The Merchant of Venice, the harsh realities of financial need lead to serious conflicts.
  3. Shakespeare's stories reflect the changing social dynamics of his time. The rise of the middle class and trade had a big impact on society and he captured that in his writing.

Twenty-nine facts about Richard III

The Common Reader • 1204 implied HN points • 23 Jan 25
📚 Literature Shakespeare Drama History Tragedy Character analysis
  1. Richard III starts with the main character sharing his feelings, which is not typical in Shakespeare's plays. This sets the stage for a deeper exploration of his character.
  2. The play was likely written between 1587 and 1592, and it’s one of Shakespeare’s earlier works. It gained popularity quickly, evidenced by multiple editions being published.
  3. Unlike many stories, Richard III has no side plots, which keeps the focus solely on Richard's journey. This clarity helps highlight the themes of free will and identity.

Shakespeare's stirring world.

The Common Reader • 1204 implied HN points • 20 Jan 25
📚 Literature Drama Poetry Shakespeare Critique History
  1. The plays in Shakespeare's Henry VI trilogy are often seen as dull and filled with excessive speeches that could be shortened.
  2. Characters in these plays rarely show deep self-reflection, which is a hallmark of Shakespeare's more famous works.
  3. Despite some poetic moments, the writing in Henry VI lacks the emotional depth seen in Shakespeare's later plays.

Book Club 2025

The Common Reader • 2551 implied HN points • 17 Dec 24
📚 Literature Book clubs Shakespeare Classic Novels
  1. The 2025 book club will explore many Shakespeare plays like 'Macbeth' and 'Pride and Prejudice'. Participants can share their thoughts in scheduled meetings.
  2. Reading Shakespeare can be fun and engaging, even for those doing it for the first time since school. His plays are exciting and have great characters.
  3. 2025 is also Jane Austen's 250th birthday, and there will be a special book club for her novels. Each session will discuss a different book, making it a great way to enjoy her stories.
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How Prospero repents.

The Common Reader • 779 implied HN points • 19 Dec 24
📚 Literature Shakespeare Analysis Themes Characters
  1. Prospero's journey in _The Tempest_ shows a struggle between love and revenge, highlighting the importance of love over power. He eventually realizes he needs to choose compassion instead of seeking vengeance.
  2. The theme of what it means to be human is central to the story, as Prospero learns his cruel treatment of others diminishes his own humanity and status.
  3. Prospero's control over events often falters, showing that true power cannot be forced and that genuine connections matter more than manipulation.

The Scottish Play

Wrong Side of History • 280 implied HN points • 06 Nov 24
📚 Literature Poetry Drama Literary Analysis Shakespeare
  1. Macbeth explores deep themes like ambition, guilt, and fate, making it a timeless classic that connects to modern stories like Breaking Bad.
  2. Lady Macbeth is a strong, complicated character who challenges traditional gender roles, and her descent into madness raises important psychological questions.
  3. The play is surrounded by superstition, with its notorious curse and the dramatic history of rival performances highlighting its cultural impact.

Knights and Hawkes: inside Shakespeare's dream

The Common Reader • 779 implied HN points • 07 Mar 24
📚 Literature Analysis Criticism Shakespeare Characters Interpretation
  1. Shakespeare's characters were not meant to be seen as real people but rather as symbols representing larger themes and ideas in his plays.
  2. The historical context of drama before Shakespeare involved using archetypes to make moral points, which influenced how Shakespeare's characters were perceived by the contemporary audience.
  3. While some critics argued that only what is explicitly stated in the text matters, it is also important to consider the depth and complexity of characters beyond what is directly mentioned.

Who's afraid of A.C. Bradley?

The Common Reader • 673 implied HN points • 13 Mar 24
📚 Literature Criticism Shakespeare Character Psychoanalysis Realism
  1. Discussions on Shakespeare's characters often avoid delving into them as people, and those who do, like A.C. Bradley, are sometimes considered out of touch.
  2. Bradley's approach to literary criticism, focusing on the humanity of characters, has faced criticism and mockery over the years.
  3. The tension between traditional literary analysis, like Bradley's, and modern theories, such as Marxist political analysis, continues within academia.

Too like the lightning, which doth cease to be

The Common Reader • 531 implied HN points • 21 Feb 24
📚 Literature Analysis Shakespeare Symbolism Interpretation
  1. Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet heavily utilizes the motif of light and dark, with light symbolizing various aspects like love, hope, and the passage of time.
  2. Light imagery in Romeo and Juliet is not always positive, as it also signifies challenges and obstacles faced by the lovers.
  3. Paid subscribers can access deeper analysis, such as understanding the tragic foreshadowing in Juliet's speeches and the profound line 'Too like the lightning, which doth cease to be'.

Love's Labour's Lost book club

The Common Reader • 248 implied HN points • 01 Mar 24
📚 Literature Shakespeare Book Club
  1. The Love's Labour's Lost book club is meeting on Sunday at 7 p.m. UK time to discuss the play.
  2. Participants are encouraged to compare Love's Labour's Lost with Romeo and Juliet, discuss if it's Shakespeare's worst play, and explore elements that are developed in later plays.
  3. Interested individuals can access the full post archives with a 7-day free trial of The Common Reader.

Twenty-five ideas about Love's Labour's Lost

The Common Reader • 248 implied HN points • 28 Feb 24
📚 Literature Shakespeare Language Comparison Influence
  1. Shakespeare's Love's Labour's Lost explores themes of war, death, wit, festivity, Arcadia, lyricism, and satire, offering a darker ending that symbolizes the passing of old generations.
  2. The play remains relevant today as it touches on issues like the delay of marriage and children, and the struggle between speaking about creating a better world versus actually doing it.
  3. Love's Labour's Lost engages with the debate on language by contrasting post-modernist views with the idea of fixed meanings, tied to a concrete reality, which is portrayed through the characters' speech patterns.