How Shakespeare Grappled With The Issues And Why He Still Resonates

Even though our values have evolved in crucial areas beyond those of Shakespeare’s era, we can talk back to the plays because they talk back to themselves. Whether it’s sexism in “The Taming of the Shrew,” racism in “Othello,” anti-Semitism in “The Merchant of Venice” or colonialism in “The Tempest,” it is hard to find a point of view that Shakespeare hasn’t already anticipated and embodied.