What Would Henry V Do?

RIT Lecture Series Looks at Shakespeare’s Politics

How would Henry V handle today’s political mess? A veteran of foreign invasion, what insight would he give to the Bush administration?

Shakespeare’s Politics, a lecture series hosted by Rochester Institute of Technology’s Department of Political Science, will continue this month with On the Statesmanship of Shakespeare’s Henry V, by guest lecturer Paul Cantor, from 7:30 to 9 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 6, in the Carlson Auditorium on RIT’s Henrietta campus.

Cantor, a professor of English at the University of Virginia, will look at the Plantagenet king’s political sensibilities, examining the actions, deliberations, mistakes and successes of Shakespeare’s characters and policy makers.

"At a time when the international political arena is characterized by uncertainty, I can think of nothing more important than reflecting upon the nature of statesmanship and political leadership," says Sean Sutton, professor of political science at RIT. "For those interested in practical politics, the plays provide an opportunity to reflect upon the actions and deliberations of Shakespeare’s characters. The plays are useful preliminaries for discussing the fundamental question of political leadership and statesmanship: Given the circumstances, what is the best course of action to take?"