The hottest Shakespeare Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Top Literature Topics

My appearance on Conversations with Tyler

The Common Reader • 2126 implied HN points • 05 Mar 26
📚 Literature Shakespeare
  1. They did close readings of Measure for Measure and debated bold interpretations, like whether Isabella slept with Angelo, treating Shakespeare as ideologically pragmatic.
  2. The discussion offered strong tastes about many writers and works — calling the Forsyte Chronicles overrated and weighing Milton, Spenser, Tolkien, and Harry Potter — and raised big questions about whether fiction can seriously handle religion and mental illness.
  3. The tone was lively and candid, with spirited philosophical back-and-forths (skepticism about Girardian readings) and a pointed critique of advertising’s 1960s "Creative Revolution."

Cymbeline book club

The Common Reader • 425 implied HN points • 14 Dec 25
📚 Literature Shakespeare
  1. There’s a Cymbeline book-club meeting on Sunday 14th at 7 p.m. UK time / 2 p.m. Eastern to discuss the play.
  2. Attendance is now free and open to everyone, so you don’t need to pay to join; cancel your subscription only if you don’t want archive access.
  3. A Zoom link is provided to join the meeting, and you can drop questions or topics in the comments; a full Shakespeare schedule is also linked.

Book Club 2025

The Common Reader • 2551 implied HN points • 17 Dec 24
📚 Literature Shakespeare
  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.

Twenty-nine facts about Richard III

The Common Reader • 1204 implied HN points • 23 Jan 25
📚 Literature Shakespeare
  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.

Twenty-five facts about the Merchant of Venice

The Common Reader • 496 implied HN points • 03 Jul 25
📚 Literature Shakespeare
  1. The Merchant of Venice is known for being a romantic comedy and one of Shakespeare's most performed plays. Many people enjoy watching and performing it.
  2. The play was likely written around 1596, and it was already part of the Chamberlain's Men's shows by 1598. It shows how quickly it became popular.
  3. An interesting detail is in the play's opening, which references a ship called the Andrew, helping to date when Shakespeare wrote it.
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Shakespeare's stirring world.

The Common Reader • 1204 implied HN points • 20 Jan 25
📚 Literature Shakespeare
  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.

Shakespeare the economist.

The Common Reader • 992 implied HN points • 06 Feb 25
📚 Literature Shakespeare
  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.

How Prospero repents.

The Common Reader • 779 implied HN points • 19 Dec 24
📚 Literature Shakespeare
  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.

Richard III Book Club

The Common Reader • 354 implied HN points • 26 Jan 25
📚 Literature Shakespeare
  1. The Richard III Book Club meets on Sundays at 7 p.m. UK time to discuss Shakespeare's play 'Richard III.'
  2. Anyone interested is encouraged to ask questions or start discussions in the comments section.
  3. You can join the meeting online via a Zoom link provided in the announcement.

Knights and Hawkes: inside Shakespeare's dream

The Common Reader • 779 implied HN points • 07 Mar 24
📚 Literature Shakespeare
  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.

Thirty facts about Romeo and Juliet

The Common Reader • 815 implied HN points • 26 Jan 24
📚 Literature Shakespeare
  1. The most read pages in the First Folio at the Bodleian library are about Romeo and Juliet's first meeting.
  2. John Milton made extensive notes and markings in his copy of Romeo and Juliet against lyrical passages and lovers' dialogue.
  3. Romeo and Juliet was likely performed at theatres such as The Theatre, The Curtain, and The Globe.

Who's afraid of A.C. Bradley?

The Common Reader • 673 implied HN points • 13 Mar 24
📚 Literature Shakespeare
  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.

The Scottish Play

Wrong Side of History • 280 implied HN points • 06 Nov 24
📚 Literature 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.

Too like the lightning, which doth cease to be

The Common Reader • 531 implied HN points • 21 Feb 24
📚 Literature Shakespeare
  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
  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
  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.

Romeo and Juliet Book Club

The Common Reader • 70 implied HN points • 04 Feb 24
📚 Literature Shakespeare
  1. The Romeo and Juliet Book Club is meeting on Sunday at 7 p.m. UK time to discuss the play
  2. The club leader, Henry Oliver, will be discussing why he thinks Romeo is a darker character than commonly perceived
  3. Readers can engage in the discussion by sharing their thoughts and questions in the comments section