Are politicians and actors two sides of the same coin? Can you become a better public speaker by studying soliloquies? What can Shakespeare teach us a

Shakespeare on Power

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2025-01-01 18:30:03

Are politicians and actors two sides of the same coin? Can you become a better public speaker by studying soliloquies? What can Shakespeare teach us about the nature of power?

To discuss, ChinaTalk interviewed Eliot Cohen: SAIS professor, military historian, and counselor to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. He is also the author of The Hollow Crown: Shakespeare on How Leaders Rise, Rule, and Fall .

Co-hosting is Jordan’s little brother, actor Phil Schneider. He recently graduated from Yale where he starred in a production of Hamlet. He’s played Romeo, Octavius Valentine, Richard II, and Leontes. Also, he’s looking for a new agent + advice about navigating showbusiness — please reach out at jordan@chinatalk.media to connect!

Jordan Schneider: Let’s kick it off with a passage. Eliot, why don’t you give us some context on the Hollow Crown speech?

Eliot Cohen: The Hollow Crown speech is given by Richard II, who’s one of the more feeble kings in Shakespeare, although he is brilliantly fluent.