Westworld’s Shakespeare: A Case for Serial Reading

The Department of German at NYU and Deutsches Haus at NYU present a talk by Professor Elisabeth Bronfen who will speak on “Westworld’s Shakespeare: A Case for Serial Reading.”

Event information:

Westworld, a postmodern splice between artificial intelligence fantasy and the classic Western, quotes no text more often than Shakespeare’s plays. This lecture explores how the serial return of these citations reflects on the seriality of this prestige television show, itself conceived as a complex narrative loop. At the same time, this lecture also looks at how rereading Shakespeare’s plays through the lens of this subsequent recycling might change our understanding of these plays.

About the speaker:

Elisabeth Bronfen is Professor of English and American Studies at the University of Zurich and, since 2007, Global Distinguished Professor at New York University. She did her PhD at the University of Munich, on literary space in the work of Dorothy M. Richardson’s novel Pilgrimage, as well as her habilitation, five years later, on representations of femininity and death. A specialist in the 19th and 20th century literature she has also written articles in the area of gender studies, psychoanalysis, film, cultural theory, and visual culture. Current research projects include: Serial Shakespeare; Mad Men and the American Cultural Imaginary; Seriality and twenty-first century DVD-novels; the gender of political sovereignty; and a monograph on Shakespeare’s theater.

Attendance information:

Events at Deutsches Haus at NYU are free and open to the public. If you would like to attend this event, please send us an email to [email protected]. Space at Deutsches Haus at NYU is limited, please arrive ten minutes prior to the event. Thank you!

“Westworld’s Shakespeare: A Case for Serial Reading” is a DAAD-supported event.











When: Mon., Sep. 24, 2018 at 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm
Where: Deutsches Haus at NYU
42 Washington Mews
212-998-8660
Price: Free
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The Department of German at NYU and Deutsches Haus at NYU present a talk by Professor Elisabeth Bronfen who will speak on “Westworld’s Shakespeare: A Case for Serial Reading.”

Event information:

Westworld, a postmodern splice between artificial intelligence fantasy and the classic Western, quotes no text more often than Shakespeare’s plays. This lecture explores how the serial return of these citations reflects on the seriality of this prestige television show, itself conceived as a complex narrative loop. At the same time, this lecture also looks at how rereading Shakespeare’s plays through the lens of this subsequent recycling might change our understanding of these plays.

About the speaker:

Elisabeth Bronfen is Professor of English and American Studies at the University of Zurich and, since 2007, Global Distinguished Professor at New York University. She did her PhD at the University of Munich, on literary space in the work of Dorothy M. Richardson’s novel Pilgrimage, as well as her habilitation, five years later, on representations of femininity and death. A specialist in the 19th and 20th century literature she has also written articles in the area of gender studies, psychoanalysis, film, cultural theory, and visual culture. Current research projects include: Serial Shakespeare; Mad Men and the American Cultural Imaginary; Seriality and twenty-first century DVD-novels; the gender of political sovereignty; and a monograph on Shakespeare’s theater.

Attendance information:

Events at Deutsches Haus at NYU are free and open to the public. If you would like to attend this event, please send us an email to [email protected]. Space at Deutsches Haus at NYU is limited, please arrive ten minutes prior to the event. Thank you!

“Westworld’s Shakespeare: A Case for Serial Reading” is a DAAD-supported event.

Buy tickets/get more info now