The Case for Barbarism
Ordinary life improves when empire falls.
Articles by Paul A. Cantor
A Riddle Wrapped in an Enigma
Jonathan Swift was one of the most secretive men who ever lived, the Howard Hughes of 18th-century Britain. Given how well-known his name is today, it comes as a surprise to learn that most of his writings were initially published anonymously.
Aristocracy in America
Huckleberry Finn shows that a nation devoted to fresh starts will also invite false starts and upstarts.
A Handshake Across the Centuries
The European roots of Chinua Achebe’s postcolonial classic.
Ink-Stained Genius
A review of Charles Dickens, by Michael Slater
Is There Intelligent Life on Television?
The small screen’s new sophistication.
Playwright of the Globe
Shakespeare tried to understand the world, and now the world tries to understand him.
History Plays
Shakespeare's ability to provoke a variety of thoughtful responses is one measure of his enduring greatness.
Average Bill
If you really want to learn something about Shakespeare, go back to the plays.
The Economic Muse
Watts attempts to establish common ground between economists and literary critics.
Between Heaven and Hell
Hamlet in Purgatory in many respects serves as the culmination of Greenblatt's long-term project as a cultural historian.