The Foundations of Shakespeare | Dr Neema Parvini (Academic Agent) What are we missing when we study Shakespeare? And why does he still matter? In this episode of The Base, Oliver Bennett and Morgan Watkins speak with Dr Neema Parvini, also known as Academic Agent, about Shakespeare, the foundations of education, and the historical world that shaped his work. The conversation begins with Shakespeare’s enduring power: why his plays remain psychologically rich, open to interpretation, and resistant to being reduced to a single moral or political message. They discuss the teaching of Shakespeare today, the importance of inspiring teachers, and what students miss when they are asked to interpret great works before mastering the basics of language, grammar, and history. From the fall of Constantinople in 1453 and the rediscovery of classical texts to the growth of London and the emergence of the modern world, Dr Parvini places Shakespeare within the wider intellectual and historical currents of the Renaissance. The discussion also explores Elizabethan assumptions about sex, gender, costume, and performance, asking how we can understand Shakespeare on his own terms rather than impose our own categories upon him. Topics include: Why Shakespeare remains difficult, ambiguous, and exciting to study The foundations of education: grammar, language, and historical knowledge The Renaissance and the rediscovery of classical learning How Shakespeare’s world connected the medieval past with modernity Elizabethan attitudes to sex, gender, and theatrical performance Was Shakespeare progressive or reactionary? Why Shakespeare continues to be claimed by competing political and cultural traditions To understand Shakespeare, we must first understand the world he inhabited — and recover the foundations that allow us to read him properly. Explore Dr Neema Parvini’s work Academic Agency: https://www.academic-agency.com/ Academic Agent on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AcademicAgent Foundations of Shakespeare: Explore the course through Academic Agency. Books and publications: Edinburgh University Press and Bloomsbury. Subscribe to The Base for conversations on theatre, philosophy, history, and the ideas that have shaped Western Civilisation. Support our work and become a member of The Base on YouTube to help us make more of these conversations possible. 🎭 Website https://www.thebasecreates.co.uk ▶️ YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@TheBaseCreates ✍️ Substack https://open.substack.com/pub/thebase 🎧 Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/0M9FI9yjLCmOtCSI8sVpJk 🍎 Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-base/id1749936928 📸 Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thebasecreates 𝕏 X https://x.com/thebasecreates 🎵 TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@thebasecreates 🔐 Become a YouTube Member https://www.youtube.com/@TheBaseCreates/join 00:00 Introduction: Shakespeare and elite theory 02:21 Dr. Parvini’s first experiences with Shakespeare 04:47 Why Shakespeare remains difficult and exciting to study 07:12 A Midsummer Night’s Dream and school social hierarchies 10:57 The role of inspiring teachers and rebellious students 15:40 Why schools can reward formulaic essays over original thought 17:36 Foundational writing skills and what students may be missing 18:34 History education and the missing timeline 22:00 Why Shakespeare needs more context than the Tudor period 23:35 1453 and the fall of Constantinople 28:36 The Silk Road, trade, and the Renaissance 32:01 Greek and Roman texts return to Western Europe 34:28 Copernicus, Galileo, and the changing view of humanity’s place 39:22 Commerce, London’s growth, and Shakespeare’s audience 41:47 Shakespeare’s possible nostalgia for an older social order 47:41 Grammar basics: verbs, subjects, objects, and clear writing 50:04 Was Shakespeare progressive or reactionary? 52:34 Modern categories of sexuality and the Elizabethan context 55:52 Galen’s ideas about sex and the
