At a recent Shakespeare conference at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, the complex history of censorship around Shakespeare's works was a key topic. Notably, Dr. Thomas Bowdler’s 1818 "clean" edition of Shakespeare’s plays omitted scenes deemed inappropriate, such as Ophelia's suicide in Hamlet and Doll Tearsheet’s character in Henry IV, Part 2. Bowdler’s censored versions inadvertently made Shakespeare more accessible to families, introducing young readers to his works. Dr. Larry Burriss, a Professor of Journalism at MTSU, reflected on Shakespeare's controversial themes, political and explicit content and how it all went together...

• Hear more media commentaries by Dr. Burriss HERE.