The Rape of Lucrece
| Datum: | 28.10.2023, 15:47 - 06.11.2023, 13:51 Uhr |
Join us for an exciting theatrical experiment: On Monday, 6 November, actress Elena Pellone will bring Shakespeare's The Rape of Lucrece (originally published as a narrative poem in 1594) to the stage as a dramatic performance. The performance will be introduced by a discussion with students, beginning at 5.15 p.m. in H 2 (Philosophy Building). For the introductory discussion Elena Pellone will be joined by renowned Shakespeare scholar David Shalkwyk. The actual performance will start at 6.00 p.m. Admission is free.
The story of the rape and consequent suicide of Lucretia in the sixth century BC is said to have helped bring about the overthrow of the Roman monarchy and facilitate the transition to a republic. However, Shakespeare tells her story not primarily as a foundational political narrative. According to Dympna C. Callaghan, he endows Lucrece with a full humanity; he focusses on the violation of her personhood and grants her the power to "articulate her suffering and name the outrage committed on her person." Lucretia's startling capacity to speak out about sexual violence makes her story extremely relevant for the contemporary moment.
Elena Pellone is an actress, Shakespearean scholar and the Artistic Facilitator of the Venice Shakespeare Company and Anərkē Shakespeare. She devised and performed Shakespeare’s Rape of Lucrece for the inauguration of the Verona Shakespeare Fringe Festival in July 2021, and the Shakespeare’s Coming Home! Festival, Stratford upon Avon, in March 2022.
David Schalkwyk is Professor of Shakespeare Studies at Queen Mary University of London and Director of the Centre for Global Shakespeare. His publications on Shakespeare include Speech and Performance in Shakespeare’s Sonnets and Plays (2002), Shakespeare, Love and Service (2008) and Shakespeare, Love and Language (2019). He has also acted in Anərkē Shakespeare and Venice Shakespeare Company productions.
The event is hosted by the Chair of English Literature and British Cultural Studies (Prof. Dr. Sandrock).
