My clearest memory of the class, actually, is a discussion over the Prioress’ Tale. The class was insisting that Chaucer was mocking anti-semitism and I was arguing that it was no big deal if Chaucer was anti-semitic since (a) it’s not like he invented anti-semitism; (b) the man had been dead for 600 years; and (c) even if he was, it doesn’t make the writing less brilliant.

Don’t be afraid of Titus – it’s an absolutely marvelous, tremendous work. Do be warned that it is FAR more gruesome, gory and just plain evil than anything you would even think of as Shakespeare. The level of violence in it is truly disturbing on so many levels – the first time I read it I was completely floored by what I was reading. However, if you can get past the utter shock value of the plot, what you’ll find is a truly amazing play. The title character of Titus is one of his fullest and most developed. Anthony Hopkins did a absolutely brilliant job of nailing down the multiple levels of Titus’ madness in the Julie Taybor movie version which I most highly recommend. I put Titus’ madness up against that of Lear or Macbeth any day and assert Titus is perhaps one of Shakespeare’s richest characters. The language is brilliant throughout and the interplay of the family dynamics, especially when racing to the very disturbing end, is second to none. There’s a reason this was Shakespeare’s most successful play in his lifetime and it’s not just about the gore. It truly is an amazing work. I never did agree with much that Woody Allen said – it seems that trend continues.