Search | Gresham College

King Henry III and the Communication of Power

This lecture considers how Henry III of England used art to justify monarchy at the dawn of what is commonly termed the ‘parliamentary state’.

Shakespeare's Ghosts and Spirits

In this lecture, Jonathan Bate will summon up the ghosts of Old Hamlet, the victims of Richard III and Julius Caesar, revealing their origins in the bloody plays of Seneca.

Nationalist Parties

How is the rise of nationalist parties to be explained?

It is well known that Shakespeare lived in an age of monarchy and wrote powerfully in his English history plays about the duties of the sovereign. In this lecture, Jonathan Bate will tell another, forgotten story: of how Shakespeare was also fascinated by Roman political models.

Should We Vote Online?

Some countries have adopted online voting and some have regarded it as extremely dangerous for democracy. What are the facts?

The Labour Party

The Labour Party was formed in 1900 as a coalition between trade unions and socialist intellectuals with the aim of securing representation for the working class in parliament.

Shakespeare's Lovers

The Rape of Lucrece set the mould for Shakespeare’s exploration of the tragic consequences of sexual desire turning to violence. Jonathan Bate will show how Shakespeare developed these themes from his reading of the great Roman poet Ovid.

The Liberal Party and the Liberal Democrats

The Liberal Party was formed in the 1850s and was the dominant force in British politics for the next 30 years. What is the explanation for the decline and subsequent revival of the party?

Shakespeare's Heroes

What do we mean by a hero and where does our understanding of the ‘heroic’ idiom come from? In this lecture, Jonathan Bate will show how Shakespeare’s idea of the hero was shaped by the classical tradition, going back to the ancient tale of Troy and Virgil’s epic poem The Aeneid.

Shakespeare's London and Ancient Rome

Jonathan Bate tells the story of how and why Shakespeare was steeped in the classics, from his earliest plays such as Titus Andronicus and The Comedy of Errors to his dramatisations of the stories of Julius Caesar and Antony and Cleopatra.

Suggested searches:

For the Love of Learning since 1597

Popular topics:

Search results