So often when we think of Shakespeare’s settings, it is palaces, battlefields, and forests that come to mind. The Merry Wives of Windsor and Romeo and Juliet, however, offer us ample opportunity to think about urban, if not urbane, living. In this talk, Fulbright Fellow Andrew Hiscock (Professor of English, Bangor University, Wales) will reflect upon the city in cultural debates across Europe and how Shakespeare turned to such considerations throughout his career in evocations of antiquity, congested comic communities, and contemporary settings. In Merry Wives and Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare asked audiences to consider the implications of living in close proximity in large neighbourhoods - neighbourhoods where temptation, violence, greed, and intimacy constantly evolve into unexpectedly creative combinations as we move from one street to the next.
Please register to receive Zoom link and updates.
Andrew Hiscock is a Fulbright Scholar (2025-26) in the Department of English UCI. He is Professor of Early Modern Literature and a former Dean at Bangor University, Wales. His current research focuses on Shakespeare and hospitality.
Contact Julia Lupton (jrlupton@uci.edu) for information about this event.