Uploads from Adam Walker - Close Reading Poetry

Currently Playing: The Ritual Roots of Shakespeare

I explore how our habits of digital consumption have changed the way we read and misread literature. The result? We want the product of art without undergoing the experience. But Shakespeare belongs to a much older tradition of drama, one rooted in ancient ritual. Drawing on Aristotle’s theory of catharsis, the origins of tragedy in Dionysian festivals, and the moral architecture of plays like King Lear and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, I make the case that Shakespeare’s works are imaginative enactments of transformation. 📚 If you're interested in going deeper, this video is part of my course Midsummer with Shakespeare: Four Initiations into the Shakespearean Imagination, hosted through the Versed~ Community. All lectures, discussions, and study guides for this course will only be available on Versed~ 👉 Join the course or community here: https://versedcommunity.com The problem with digital consumption: 0:00-4:15 Not a Text, a Ritual: 4:15-6:32 Ritual Roots of Drama: 6:32-12:05 Ritual Passage in A Midsummer Night's Dream: 12:05-14:26 Ritual Suffering in King Lear: 14:26-17:04 Reading as Ritual Participation: 17:04-19:00