Critical Readings CriticalReadings.com
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- Arts
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Critical Readings examines key literary texts using close reading and critical analysis, and explains these approaches in discussion. Listeners will learn about the texts themselves and about how to approach a text for critical analysis.
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CR Episode 222: All for Love, Act II
The panel reads the second act of John Dryden's All for Love, with special attention to the rhetorical manoeuvres of Cleopatra, and the psychological state of both Antony and Cleopatra, as their outsized emotional investments doom them both.Continue reading
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CR Episode 221: All for Love, Act I
The panel reads the first act of John Dryden's take on the story of Antony and Cleopatra, All for Love, with a focus on Marc Antony's mental state, the military situation with which he is confronted, and whether he is at fault for his circumstances.Continue reading
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CR Episode 220: Antony and Cleopatra, Act V
The panel concludes with the final act of Antony and Cleopatra, highlighting Octavius' intentions towards his defeated political foe, Cleopatra's attempt to escape the wheel of fate, and the Roman development of Boethius' response to Stoicism.Continue reading
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CR Episode 219: Antony and Cleopatra, Act IV
The panel reads the fourth act of Antony and Cleopatra with particular attention to the character of Marc Antony and his worldview of personal honour and prowess, in conflict with the political schemes and grand designs of both Octavius and Cleopatra.Continue reading
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CR Episode 218: Antony and Cleopatra, Act III
The panel discusses the third act, with a focus on the deterioration of the Roman political situation, Marc Antony's skills as a battlefield leader and a political figure, and the sophisticated psychological understanding of both Octavius and Cleopatra.Continue reading
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CR Episode 217: Antony and Cleopatra, Act II
The panel discusses the second act of Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra, with a focus on the Roman political situation, the difference between republican and dictatorial rule, and Cleopatra's intoxicating effect upon those caught in her orbit.Continue reading
Customer Reviews
I love this book club/podcast
This is a wonderful podcast for people open to learning about literature, plays, and poetry beyond what they have already experienced. It is just the right blend of serious scholarship with pop cultural references and humor. A special treat is being able to post comments on the website and to have interchanges amongst the book club members as well as with the professionals. I don’t know of any other podcast that does this.
Wonderful Insight and Recommendations
For a long time I have enjoyed writing self-reflective prose and poetry, but I’ve never felt I’ve had the tools to write well. This podcast has given me some inspiration to continue writing and experimenting both in writing and in music.
So few modern musicians still possess such rich poetic power (though Joe Pug and Marcus Mumford may be an exception). But, podcasts like this keep the knowledge of great poetry alive, so that just like Longfellow’s “footprints on the sands of time,” we might be inspired to keep the tradition alive.
I have greatly enjoyed listening to the wonderful depth and insight in this podcast, and I hope to continue writing and growing my own knowledge base.
Best poetry podcast
As a practicing poet, I have searched long and hard for podcasts that do in-depth analyses of the great works. Most just do snippets of readings, and many focus on contemporary free-versers with a political agenda who are, in the scheme of things, highly forgettable. Only a handful analyze works of the past, and this is the only one I’ve found that does multi-part episode series on longer works. Great for students, practitioners looking to better understand their craft, and general interest.