Share

The Play's the Thing
King Lear: Act I, Scene 1
•
Welcome to the premier episode of The Play's the Thing, a podcast dedicated to an ongoing examination and celebration of Shakespeare's entire canon. In this episode, David Kern, Matt Bianco, and Tim McIntosh dive into act I of King Lear, focusing primarily on scene I. Topics of conversation include: the Mount Rushmore of Shakespeare's plays, what makes a good Shakespearean tragedy so good, whether Lear should have divided his kingdom the way he did, how to read Cordelia's response, and much, much more.
If you like this podcast, Click here to sign up for the Close Reads email newsletter.
More episodes
View all episodes

Coriolanus: Act I (rerun)
01:05:10|Join Tim McIntosh and Sarah-Jane Bentley for a spirited discussion about one of Shakespeare's underrated (but most interesting) plays, Coriolanus. In this episode they chat about Act I, introducing the play, the characters, the themes, and much more. They also discuss how Coriolanus is almost an anti-type to a play like As You Like It.Please note: this episode was originally recorded back in April 2020.
The Merchant of Venice: Q&A (rerun)
57:03|In which Tim, Heidi, and Sarah-Jane answer your questions.
The Merchant of Venice: Bonus with Sparky Roberts (rerun)
51:43|Was Shakespeare anti-semitic? In this bonus episode, Tim chats about this question with special guest Judith "Sparky" Roberts. Sparky comes from a Jewish background and was a theatre teacher at the University of Oregon and Lane Community College. Her graduate study, at Brandeis University, was under the great American Shakespearean actor, Morris Carnovksy.
The Merchant of Venice: Act V (rerun)
59:50|Join Tim, and Heidi, and Sarah-Jane as they wrap up their conversation of Shakespeare's classic play.
The Merchant of Venice: Act IV (rerun)
48:31|Act IV is usually the key act in any Shakespeare play, and The Merchant of Venice isn't any different. Join Tim, Heidi, and Sarah-Jane as they explore why.
The Merchant of Venice: Act III (rerun)
01:04:15|Join Tim, Heidi, and Sarah-Jane as they dive Into the always-important third act of The Merchant of Venice.
The Merchant of Venice: Act II (rerun)
51:42|Join Tim, Heidi, and Sarah-Jane as they discuss Shakespeare's exploration of the folly of people who are put to the test, Bossanio's role (and his name), Shylock's complex role in the play, and much more.
The Merchant of Venice: Act I (rerun)
01:11:46|Join Tim, Heidi, and Sarah-Jane as they dive into Shakespeare's great play, The Merchant of Venice. In this episode, they discuss the character of Portia, Shylock's unnerving nature, a little of bit of context, and much more.
James Shapiro and Shakespeare in a Divided America (rerun)
39:18|In this episode, noted author James Shapiro joins the show to discuss his new book, Shakespeare in a Divide America. Dr. Shapiro and Tim discuss Donald Trump, Abraham Lincoln, and John Wilkes Booth in a conversation about how Shakespeare's plays have showcased America's common grounds and battle grounds alike. Shapiro's book has been nominated for the National Book Award and was a NYT top ten book of 2020.The Play's the Thing is produced by Goldberry Studios for the CiRCE Podcast Network.