Richelle Munkhoff, University of Colorado Boulder professor of English, will present “The Plague in Shakespeare’s London” at 7 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 1 at the Longmont Public Library, 409 4th Avenue. The program is free and open to the public.
Munkhoff’s research specializes in early modern English literature and culture. She will discuss the plague and its effect on Shakespeare’s works. There were five major outbreaks of plague during Shakespeare’s lifetime and many other years when significant numbers of people died from the disease. Using Shakespeare’s plays as a guide, Munkhoff will talk about the people who lived with the continual deadly threat of the plague and how local and national government responded to this prolonged public health crisis.
“We will look at historical evidence and Shakespeare’s plays to examine the social, economic, and spiritual consequences of plague in Elizabethan London,” she said.
This Dec. 1 program is part of a series called CU at the Library, which is jointly sponsored by the Longmont Public Library, Friends of the Longmont Public Library, and the CU-Boulder Office for University Outreach. It is one of many 2011-2012 programs offered through CU-Boulder partnerships with local libraries. For more information, visit http://conted.colorado.edu/library/
-CU-Boulder Office for University Outreach-