Dr. Ismail Serageldin has always liked Shakespeare, finding in him a multi-layered complexity that speaks to us beyond the beauty of words and the power of the poetry.
Being a great admirer of the genius of Shakespeare, he decided, as a trend, that the Bibliotheca Alexandrina would hold an Annual Shakespeare to discuss and analyze one or more of his plays and the different facets of this characters.
The greatness of Shakespeare is attested to by his ability to speak to us through space and time. He is the most universal writer in history.
Henry V is considered, by many, the most nationalistic of Shakespeare's plays, where the young King is shown in the most splendid form, and war itself is glorified; but Shakespeare, sees a much bigger and richer reality. He acknowledges the seductive power of the charismatic monarch and the power of military conqueror, but he also recognizes the scheming and the greed that supports war and the horrors of the murder of captives and unarmed civilians whose humanity he underscores.
Dr Serageldin was requested by many to record these lectures and make them available. Accordingly, he has re-read Henry V at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina Studio, in Alexandria, Egypt, on 28 July 2013.