October 15, 2014 at 7:30 pm

Café Conversation: ‘Courtship and Cruelty,’ Oct. 15

Loreen Giese, Professor of English, offers a new look at early modern courtship and marriage in daily life and in famous scenes in two Shakespeare plays during her Café Conversation, “Courtship and Cruelty,” on Wednesday, Oct. 15, at 5 p.m. in the Baker Center Front Room.

In early modern England, hostile facial expressions were considered marital cruelty? Though some might think that courtship and marriage were dominated by patriarchs during this era, historical records reveal that relationships were much more about mutual respect and maintaining balance between the man and the woman.

“I am excited to work with the audience to see Shakespeare in a fresh perspective,” Giese said.

Her talk includes manuscripts—which only exclusively became available to Professor Giese—that reveal the practices and attitudes of people during that time.

“These records are a gold mine. They illuminate the plays in ways that critics have not noticed before. The manuscripts provide a unique insight into what people were doing and thinking during this time,” she said.

Science Cafés and Café Conversations are held at 5 p.m. on Wednesdays in the Baker Center Front Room. Free coffee is provided for the first 50 people. Both cafés are venues for students to share their interests informally during a conversation exchange in a friendly setting. The Science Cafe is hosted by Dr. Sarah Wyatt, Professor of Environmental and Plant Biology and Vice President of the Ohio University Chapter of Sigma Xi. The two series are sponsored by the Ohio University chapter of Sigma Xi and the Office of the Vice President for Research.

Café events are free and open to students, faculty and staff. Both cafés are venues for students to share their interests informally during a conversation exchange in a friendly setting. The Science Cafe is hosted by Dr. Sarah Wyatt, Professor of Environmental & Plant Biology and Vice President of the Ohio University Chapter of Sigma Xi. The two series are sponsored by the Ohio University chapter of Sigma Xi and the Office of the Vice President for Research. Find the Science Café on Facebook and Twitter.