May Seminar: Shakespeare and the Mind

Have you ever wondered what happens in your mind when you read or see Shakespeare performed?

What happens in your mind when you read or see Shakespeare performed? How can recent research on the mind illuminate Shakespeare’s depictions of it? In what sense may literary and historical ideas contribute to our general understanding of the mind?

In tackling these fundamental questions about literature and the mind and their relation to one another, Dr Miranda Anderson draws on recent cognitive approaches to literature, illustrated with examples from Shakespeare and various other Renaissance works.

Dr Anderson’s lecture was followed by a conversation with Professor Paul Matthews, neuroscientist and author of The Bard on the Brain.

About the seminar: This event is part of The Human Mind Project Seminar Series and is hosted by Senate House Library’s Shakespeare: Metamorphosis. The Human Mind Project is an interactive hub encouraging debate on the human mind and our Seminar Series aims to facilitate interdisciplinary dialogue and enquiry. Follow us on Twitter for events and project updates.