How Othello Became Shakespeare’s Definitive Tragedy of Jealousy
In the final act of Othello, a decorated general kills his innocent wife in their marriage bed, convinced beyond doubt that she has betrayed him. He has no…
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Why King Lear Is Shakespeare’s Harshest Verdict on Human Folly
A king asks his three daughters a simple question: how much do you love me? The two who flatter him inherit a kingdom. The one who tells the…
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Why Macbeth Best Captures the Psychology of Ambition
In the winter of 1606, an English audience watched a Scottish general murder his king in the dark, then spend the rest of the play unable to escape…
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Why The Moon and Sixpence Became the Novel Readers Turn to Before They Quit Everything
A middle-aged stockbroker with a comfortable London life disappears one day, leaving a note for his wife and no real explanation. He is not having an affair. He…
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How Frankenstein Became the World’s First Science Fiction Novel
In June 1816, a group of young writers found themselves trapped indoors on the shores of Lake Geneva. Volcanic ash from a massive eruption on the other side…
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Why Villains Are Often More Fascinating Than Heroes in Literature
Ask most readers to name a favorite character from a novel, and they will often name the villain first. Iago’s cool, methodical malice. Hannibal Lecter’s terrifying charm. Milton’s…
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How Romeo and Juliet Became the Blueprint for Every Love Story After It
Every year, thousands of couples name a child Romeo or Juliet without ever having read a line of Shakespeare’s play. Advertisers borrow the phrase “star-crossed lovers” to sell…
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What Makes Hamlet the Greatest Tragedy Ever Written
A Prince Who Cannot Decide A young prince learns that his father was murdered by the man who now wears his crown and sleeps in his mother’s bed….
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Why Jane Austen Is Still the Author Women Love Two Centuries Later
Jane Austen published her novels without her name on them. The title pages read only “By a Lady.” She never married, rarely traveled beyond a small circle of…
