Shakespeare’s Elizabeth
I am rapidly approaching completion of a PhD at University College London which examines the intellectual and literary life of Elizabeth I, focusing on her decision in 1593 to translate from Latin, during her leisure hours, Boethius’ Consolation of Philosophy. As this page’s title suggests, my work is also about how Elizabethan poets and playwrights imagined Elizabeth – and how Elizabeth’s learning allowed her to influence that representation. As a feminist scholar, I’m interested in the trope of the ‘learned lady’, as it emerged out of Erasmian humanism – and whether Elizabeth sought to distance herself from the feminine limitations of the model. I remain fascinated by Shakespeare’s queens.
I originally studied classics at Oxford, before continuing my studies at Yale in comparative literature and eventually working on Shakespeare at UCL, and I have always been interested in the broad sweep of European intellectual history. This space on my website is mainly for me to post updates on the more academic side of my life, including responses to scholarly discussions online, but I’m also cross-posting any of my more general writing that seems particularly relevant.
Two Ados
Much Ado About Nothing, Shakespeare’s Globe; Much Ado About Nothing, Wyndham’s Theatre reviewed for The Spectator, 2 June 2011 Like most Shakespeare comedies, Much Ado About Nothing is often performed as a garden party fantasy of Merrie England – so it’s a treat to see two major...
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The Tempest, Cheek by Jowl at the Barbican Centre
reviewed for The Spectator, 11 April 2011 Rarely has a production of The Tempest been as bleak, powerful and urgent as this. The drama is often billed as Shakespeare’s last play, a retiree’s lyrical contemplation of the need for redemption and reconciliation in the later ages of man. The more we learn...
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Fake Shakes(peare)
written for The Spectator, 1 February 2011 Plaster the name ‘William Shakespeare’ on your theatre posters, and you’re sure to get bums on seats – even if Shakespeare didn’t quite write the play in question. That’s the rationale behind the slew of productions of the mysterious Cardenio, or Double...
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