Paul Cantor on Shakespeare’s Rome

In his fourth Conversation, University of Virginia literature professor Paul Cantor discusses Shakespeare’s view of ancient Rome. Drawing from his new book Shakespeare’s Roman Trilogy, Cantor presents illuminating interpretations of Coriolanus, Julius Caesar, and Antony and Cleopatra. As Cantor explains, Shakespeare’s Roman plays compel us to reflect on perennial human questions such as the tension between ambitious individuals and the political community, the relationship between philosophy and politics, and the differences between republics and empires. Cantor also compares Shakespeare’s Rome to Friedrich Nietzsche’s view of Rome. In sum, Cantor offers us an extraordinary look at a crucial part of Shakespeare's work.