The History of Literature

798.5 Thinking Through Shakespeare (with David Womersley) | My Last Book with Ramie Targoff

Mittwoch, 6. Mai 2026 · 51 min

MP3

Shownotes

Is there such a thing as a general human nature? And if so, does Shakespeare serve as a "faithful mirror" to it, as Dr. Johnson claimed? In this episode, Jacke talks to Oxford University's David Womersley about his book Thinking Through Shakespeare (press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691154…), which explores how Shakespeare's plays think through--and invite us to think through--deep human questions of lasting importance. PLUS Ramie Targoff (Shakespeare's Sisters: How Women Wrote the Renaissance (amzn.to/4dLGmBs)) discusses her choice for the last book she will ever read.

The music in this episode is by Gabriel Ruiz-Bernal. Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠gabrielruizbernal.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (gabrielruizbernal.com).

Help support the show at ⁠⁠patreon.com/literature⁠⁠ (patreon.com/literature) or ⁠⁠historyofliterature.com/donate⁠⁠ (historyofliterature.com/donate). The History of Literature Podcast is a member of Lit Hub Radio and the Podglomerate Network. Learn more at ⁠⁠thepodglomerate.com/historyofliterature⁠⁠ (thepodglomerate.com/historyofliterature).

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