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Casey Caldwell, adjunct assistant professor of English, will speak on queer procreation and urban belonging in Shakespeare’s “The Merchant of Venice” at 6 p.m. Monday, May 1, in the Todd Wehr Center Jockey Room A.

Prof. Caldwell’s talk will argue that the famous pound of flesh bond between Shylock, the Jewish moneylender, and Antonio, the Christian merchant, models a radical alternative to heterosexual marriage.

This alternative represents a queer, all-male bond that simulates marriage in which procreation between men is possible via the interest generated by a monetary loan. Marriage was the foundation of the household in early modern England, and the household was the foundation of the polis or city-state in political thought. Shylock’s offer of a bond that uses money to simulate marriage with Antonio thus also symbolizes a route into political, civic, and social belonging for a Jewish moneylender otherwise ostracized by the Christian Venetians. Prof. Caldwell will also discuss how this argument fits into his larger research project, and he will offer some insights into how scholars undertake this kind of research and how they present it.

About Prof. Caldwell

Prof. Caldwell’s research focuses on how Shakespeare and his contemporary playwrights addressed economic issues surrounding citizenship in early modern England. Prof. Caldwell is also interested in how these economic aspects of citizenship, including employment, poverty, and urban power, often intersected with social issues related to gender, sexuality, nationality, and race.

Prof. Caldwell holds a Ph.D. in English literature from Northwestern University, an MFA in directing from the Shakespeare and Performance Program at Mary Baldwin University in partnership with the American Shakespeare Center, and an MA in philosophy from the University of Auckland in New Zealand. He earned his BA in philosophy from the University of Texas at Austin. Prof. Caldwell has also worked at several professional theaters and theater programs, including Shakespeare’s Globe Theater in London, Austin Shakespeare, the American Shakespeare Center, Chicago Shakespeare, and Shakespeare at Winedale.

Sponsoring Department, Office, or Organization:

English Department

For more information, contact:

Rick Meier: rmeier@carthage.edu