Paul Edmondson: 'Inspired by Shakespeare - Shakespeare's role in the work of the Brontës

Part of the 2019 Summer Festival

Shakespeare's impact on the work of the Brontës is pervasive, and sometimes surprising. Shirley contains a chapter entitled 'Coriolanus' which presents a political reading of Shakespeare's play. Wuthering Heights fully digests and re-dreams Shakespeare. Agnes Grey and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall demonstrate a careful reading of his work. In this enlightening talk Shakespeare scholar Paul Edmondson will show how the Brontës were inspired by Shakespeare, and present an overview of his influence on their genius,

Paul Edmondson is Head of Research and Knowledge and Director of the Stratford-upon-Avon Poetry Festival for the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust. He is the author, co-author and co-editor of many books and articles about Shakespeare, including Shakespeare's Creative Legacies: Artists, Writers, Performers, Readers (2016, with Peter Holbrook). Paul published a volume of his own poems, Destination Shakespeare, for the Shakespeare 400 aniversary year, and his latest book has just appeared: New Places: Shakespeare and Civic Creativity (co-edited with Ewan Fernie) for which he has written about Germany's love of Shakespeare.