Shakespeare is civilisation | Andrew Doyle | Academy 2024

Shakespeare isn’t just a relic of the past—he is one of the foundational figures of Western civilisation. Yet today, activists and cultural gatekeepers seek to reduce him to just another “dead white man,” claiming his legacy is nothing more than a product of colonialism and outdated values. This couldn’t be further from the truth.

In this talk, Andrew Doyle dismantles these ideological attacks and makes the case for Shakespeare’s enduring importance. His works capture the complexities of human nature, shape our cultural identity, and stand as monuments to the heights of artistic achievement. But in an age where art is expected to serve politics, where great works are rewritten to fit ideological narratives, and where our cultural institutions are captured by identity politics, what is at stake if we let these voices tear down our greatest playwright?

📖 Topics Covered:
Why Shakespeare is a cornerstone of Western civilisation
How ideological activists distort art to serve their agenda
The danger of politicised theatre and bad modern adaptations
Why Shakespeare’s plays are universal, not “Eurocentric”
The conditions that allowed Shakespeare to emerge—and why we may never see his like again

🎭 “If you read Shakespeare through the lens of identity politics, you’re not reading Shakespeare at all.”

This isn’t just a defence of a playwright—it’s a defence of the cultural heritage under attack.