Shakespeare’s play, The Tempest, tells the story of how the Dukedom of Milan was lost and regained, and prompts us to think about the role of the liberal arts in learning how to rule. We discover that Prospero’s study of the liberal arts contributes to his fall from power. But it also helps him preside over the small society of strange creatures on the remote island where the action of the play takes place. What does Prospero need to learn about nature, authority, love, forgiveness, and death in order to bring about the restoration of the rightful line of succession in Milan?

In this online seminar, led by Professor Jenna Storey, fellows will closely study one of Shakespeare’s greatest plays to meditate on the kind of education we need to engage well in political life.


Images: Scene from Shakespeare’s The Tempest | Miranda Observing the Wreck of the King’s Ship

Jenna Storey discusses Why We Are Restless

Faculty

Jenna Silber Storey

Jenna Silber Storey is a senior fellow in the Social, Cultural, and Constitutional Studies department at the American Enterprise Institute. She is the co-author of a book with Benjamin Storey: Why We Are Restless: On the Modern Quest for Contentment.

Preview the Syllabus by Week/Session

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