Reading James Shapiro’s Shakespeare in a Divided America and his latest, The Playbook, over the last few months has been a profound—and often chilling—experience. While one explores the Bard's cultural "mirror" and the other uncovers the political machinery that shatters it, both offer an essential map of our current polarisation.
The Mirror: Shakespeare in a Divided America
In this volume, Shapiro argues that Shakespeare is the "common ground" where Americans have historically fought their ideological battles. From the 1849 Astor Place Riot over Macbeth to the duelling interpretations of Julius Caesar by Lincoln and his assassin, Shapiro shows that we have always used the stage to negotiate our fractures. But there is a warning here: when we lose the ability to share these stories, the "rope" holding the country together begins to fray.
The Machinery: The Playbook
If Divided America is about the stories we tell, The Playbook is about the effort to silence them. Shapiro pivots to the 1930s and the Federal Theatre Project (FTP), documenting how the first modern "culture wars" were engineered. He reveals a specific political "playbook"—using accusations of "un-Americanism" and "radicalism" to defund art—that feels eerily identical to the rhetoric found in today's headlines.
Together, these books suggest that our current moment isn't an anomaly, but a recurring American drama. Divided America captures the identity crisis, while The Playbook exposes the tactical assault on the institutions that help us understand that crisis. Reading them back-to-back over the last quarter, it becomes clear: the stage isn't just a place for entertainment—it’s the front line of our democracy.
Reviewed by Chris French (Retail Manager)
