The Privy as Polis: Sir John Harington’s Metamorphosis of Ajax

It’s one of the odder ironies of English letters that Sir John Harington, courtier, poet, and godson to Elizabeth I, is remembered not for his verse but for his privy. Not his own privy parts, mind you, but the contraption he nicknamed the ‘Ajax’ - a flushing water-closet that, in its mechanical elegance, promised to … Continue reading The Privy as Polis: Sir John Harington’s Metamorphosis of Ajax

Doctor Faustus

Christopher Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus is a classic of the Elizabethan era, packed with enough theological musings, existential angst, and demonic shenanigans to keep audiences entertained for over four centuries. Let's take a deep dive into this magnum opus, and lighten the heavy dose of hellfire and brimstone. The Plot: A Scholar's Tragicomedy At its core, … Continue reading Doctor Faustus