Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
This is a live-stream of the lecture. An edited version of the lecture will be uploaded in due course.
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https://app.sli.do/event/bi3Vswqs6agogscjZVtWhM
A lecture by Will Tosh
Samuel Pepys thought Romeo and Juliet ‘the worst [play] that ever I heard in my life’. Today it’s studied each year by thousands of students and holds the stage in playhouses across the world. What is it that determines our ranking of Shakespeare’s works, as both individuals and as a nation? What happens when the circle of popularity shrinks to encompass a mere handful of plays, studied by all at school and regularly enjoyed at the theatre? And does the incredible shrinking canon matter?
The transcript and downloadable versions of the lecture are available from the Gresham College website:
gresham.ac.uk/whats-on/shakespeare-shrinking
Gresham College has offered free public lectures for over 400 years, thanks to the generosity of our supporters. There are currently over 2,500 lectures free to access. We believe that everyone should have the opportunity to learn from some of the greatest minds. To support Gresham's mission, please consider making a donation: gresham.ac.uk/support
Website: gresham.ac.uk
Twitter: twitter.com/greshamcollege
Facebook: facebook.com/greshamcollege
Instagram: instagram.com/greshamcollege
This is a live-stream of the lecture. An edited version of the lecture will be uploaded in due course.
Have a Question? No Registration Required
https://app.sli.do/event/bi3Vswqs6agogscjZVtWhM
A lecture by Will Tosh
Samuel Pepys thought Romeo and Juliet ‘the worst [play] that ever I heard in my life’. Today it’s studied each year by thousands of students and holds the stage in playhouses across the world. What is it that determines our ranking of Shakespeare’s works, as both individuals and as a nation? What happens when the circle of popularity shrinks to encompass a mere handful of plays, studied by all at school and regularly enjoyed at the theatre? And does the incredible shrinking canon matter?
The transcript and downloadable versions of the lecture are available from the Gresham College website:
gresham.ac.uk/whats-on/shakespeare-shrinking
Gresham College has offered free public lectures for over 400 years, thanks to the generosity of our supporters. There are currently over 2,500 lectures free to access. We believe that everyone should have the opportunity to learn from some of the greatest minds. To support Gresham's mission, please consider making a donation: gresham.ac.uk/support
Website: gresham.ac.uk
Twitter: twitter.com/greshamcollege
Facebook: facebook.com/greshamcollege
Instagram: instagram.com/greshamcollege
