James S. Shapiro

James S. Shapiro studies Shakespeare through the political, theatrical, and social conditions surrounding the plays. A Year in the Life of William Shakespeare reconstructs 1599, placing the playwright's work beside the pressures of that specific year. Shapiro connects the building of the Globe and the composition of major plays with events affecting London and Elizabethan England, using historical evidence to show how artistic choices emerged from immediate circumstances. Columbia University identifies him as the Larry Miller Professor Emeritus of English and Comparative Literature, while the Public Theater lists him as a Shakespeare Scholar in Residence, roles that join archival research with Shakespeare in performance.