This article suggests that the shutdown of theaters due to the coronavirus could give dramatists the time and inspiration to write new plays.
Category Archives: Absolute Power
‘Out damned spot’: the Lady Macbeth hand-washing scene that became a Coronavirus meme
How can you tell the works of Shakespeare are timeless? They have a way of showing up in the popular culture of every era, sometimes in surprising ways.
Kent State Shootings: A Timeline of the Tragedy
Students protesting the Vietnam War at Kent State in 1970 were met with violence from the National Guard. Parallels can be made between what happened then and what is happening around the U.S. now. Who ultimately has the power in these situations—and should they?
An Interview with Poet Patricia Smith
Patricia Smith harnesses the power of words in her work. In this interview, read about why Smith feels that poetry—especially when spoken aloud—has the power to change not only attitudes but also people’s lives.
Power Makes People Happy
Researchers say that the human need for power is less a desire to control others and more a wish to be free from others’ control.
Shakespeare in lockdown: Did he write King Lear in plague quarantine?
One silver lining of shelter-in-place orders is that they might give rise to creativity. Learn more about a popular idea that sets the bar high.
Shakespeare, Lincoln, and Ambition
Abraham Lincoln once wrote, “I think nothing equals Macbeth.” Learn about how Shakespeare’s dramatic exploration of ambition may have affected how Lincoln acted on his own ambition.
What America Doesn’t Get About Dictatorships
According to the author of this opinion piece, those who enjoy the freedom and prosperity that comes with living in a democracy tend to underestimate the ability of dictators to stay in power.
Is Too Much Ambition Making You Miserable?
The negative effects of Macbeth’s overpowering ambition are obvious, but striving for success at all costs can be detrimental in smaller ways to all of us.
Shakespeare’s Sources for Macbeth
Where did Shakespeare get his ideas? This essay by Amanda Mabillard analyzes the sources and motivations underlying Shakespeare’s writing of The Tragedy of Macbeth.
Hurricane Katrina
What contributed to the devastating power of Hurricane Katrina? History® provides text, videos, and links on the formation and impact of Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
Review: Girls Just Wanna Play ‘Mac Beth’
Click here to read a review of a 2019 adaptation of Macbeth that features an all-female cast and imagines how teenage schoolgirls might choose to perform Shakespeare’s play.
Majority of men in Middle East survey believe a woman’s place is in the home
Some people in parts of the Middle East and northern Africa reject the idea of women having power.
Asia’s Five Worst Dictators
See the top five dictators who have ruled different parts of Asia over the past two decades.
Why Do We Still Care About Shakespeare?
Four centuries and many changes to the English language have passed since Shakespeare wrote. Here’s why we still read his works.
Shakespeare in Scotland: What did the author of Macbeth know and when did he know it?
Some scholars have long maintained that someone other than William Shakespeare authored some of the Bard’s best-known works. This article explores the idea that a writer with a deeper knowledge of Scotland than Shakespeare could have had must have penned Macbeth.
A Dictatorship Is Rising in My Country, Again
The author of this opinion piece, whose family fled Nicaragua when she was a child to escape a tyrannical regime, believes her home country has once again fallen into the hands of a dictator.
More than 12 years after Hurricane Katrina, scientists are learning what makes some survivors more resilient than others
Why have some survivors of the devastation of Hurricane Katrina been able to recover effectively, while others have had a harder time getting back on their feet? Click this link to learn more about research on this topic.
Eight Current Dictators as of 2018
This article suggests that today’s “dictator-led” countries, such as North Korea, are recognizable by their severe poverty and rampant human rights abuses.
How Power Corrupts Us
Why do people with power often become corrupted by it? This article examines what is at the root of this unfortunate pattern in human behavior.