Catherine Belsey
Research Professor in English at the University of Wales, Swansea
4 episodes
Covers topics in categories such as:
Lear
Melvyn Bragg discusses Shakespeare’s King Lear, a shocking and violent vision of a broken family in a godless world.
28 February 2008
Also featuring: Jonathan Bate, Katherine Duncan-Jones
Originality
Melvyn Bragg discusses the creative force of originality. How far is it to do with origins? And is original important or is tradition more significant?
20 March 2003
Also featuring: John Deathridge, Jonathan Rée
Nihilism
Melvyn Bragg explores the history of Nihilism, a philosophy associated with Nietzsche that claims truth and morality are illusory. Has anything positive come out of the philosophy of ‘nothing’?
16 November 2000
Also featuring: Rob Hopkins, Raymond Tallis
Tragedy
Melvyn Bragg discusses the history of the ancient genre of tragedy and examines whether we have a psychological need for it, either as catharsis or Schadenfreude.
2 December 1999
Also featuring: George Steiner