Dr. White explores the theme of leadership and crisis of authority in this lecture on Shakespeare’s “dark comedy.” He uses the example of a recent scandal at the Naval Academy where he taught to show the consequences of the failure of authority, and ties this into the irresponsibility of the authority figures in Measure for Measure. Dr. White then discusses Shakespeare’s evident Catholicism, how it influenced his work and life, and how it made his plays relevant and popular for all time, despite the protestations of modern critics, who twist his words, and modern schools, who take his works off their students’ reading lists. From there, Dr. White gives examples of how the playwright worked around a ban against mentioning God in the theatre. Finally, he discusses the pattern of the play’s settings and their significance, as well as the main conflict of the piece.
Dr. White continues his discussion of the results of incompetence in authority figures as represented in Measure for Measure, showing how the corruption of their society affects the characters, especially Isabella, who seeks refuge in the restraint and order of a convent. The character of Claudio is discussed as “the only sane and sensible character in the play.” Dr. White discusses the biblical references and Christian imagery in the play, and proves it to be, in one sense a Christmas play. Special attention is given to Isabella’s decision to grant forgiveness to the man who wronged her, bringing the idea of Mary’s Fiat to the play’s climax and resolution. The lecture closes with a few thoughts on Shakespeare’s Catholicism and Dr. White’s conviction that, in the words of a contemporary Protestant minister, “Master Shakespeare died a Papist.”
In this, part one of Dr. White’s first discussion of Macbeth, he reveals that there were dozens of strange stories and myths surrounding this particular Shakespeare tragedy. He goes on to set the stage with a brief background comparing the different characteristics of tragedy vs. comedy; then details Shakespeare’s Catholic heritage and how it influenced the spiritual conflict that is a part of all the poet’s great tragedies.
Dr. White continues his first session on Macbeth with a discussion of how the characters are seemingly living in the future as the action of the play unfolds. Interspersing his commentary with well-practiced readings, Dr. White explores man’s role as the preserver of moral order, and how that role is blurred as it is surrendered to Lady Macbeth. Then he proceeds to dissect the actions and motivations of the play’s characters.
In this first part of his second session on Macbeth, Dr. White discusses the legends and myths that have surrounded the play throughout the theater world. To many, Macbeth was not just a Scottish tragedy but a curse. White admits to not teaching this play as often as the other Shakespeare tragedies because of it darkness and association with evil. Then he segues into the “poetry” of the play and a detailed explanation of the meter of its most famous passage.
The Canterbury Tales is an unfinished work. The story has a beginning and an end, but chunks of the middle are missing, much like the image of an unfinished cathedral that takes generations to complete. Chaucer did this deliberately. Chaucer set for himself an enormous task to tell the tales of all 29 pilgrims in the story. They were to tell two stories on the way to Canterbury and two tales on the way back then vote on the best tale. But the pilgrimage is a one-way pilgrimage. There is no return trip. To understand these tales, think of the pilgrimage to the cathedral of St. Thomas a Becket as an image of the final destination of all pilgrims; our pilgrimage to eternity. Chaucer included all walks of life among his pilgrims, from the lowest to the highest, including himself. The poet is also a pilgrim. There are two types of pilgrims on this trip: the true pilgrim who wishes to make the spiritual journey to the great shrine, and the palmer who rides along simply for the adventure. The first two tales tell of these two ways: The Knight’s Tale tells of God’ order, The Miller’s Tale tells the worldly way.
