Ralph Williams is a Professor in the Department of English, Language and Literature at the University of Michigan. He has studied 15 languages including Greek, Hebrew and Aramaic, and uses Italian, French, and Latin, especially frequently.

He specializes in Medieval and Renaissance literature, Shakespeare, literary theory, comparative literature and Biblical studies. He has taught such wide-ranging courses as The Bible in English, plus the literature of Chaucer to Frederick Douglass, to the works of Primo Levi and the Memory of Auschwitz.


In the second installment of our series of mini-lectures on Shakespeare, U-M's beloved emeritus professor of English, Ralph Williams, explores Shakespeare's images of water and the significance of the sea in his works.

In the third installment of our series of mini-lectures on Shakespeare, U-M's beloved emeritus professor of English, Ralph Williams, considers the experience of women in Shakespeare's time and explores the lastingness and strength of female relationships in his works.

In the fourth installment of our series of mini-lectures on Shakespeare, U-M's beloved emeritus professor of English, Ralph Williams, explores the isolation and identity experienced by those on the margins of society in Shakespearean Venice.

In the fifth installment of our series of mini-lectures on Shakespeare, U-M's beloved emeritus professor of English, Ralph Williams, explores the complex range of emotions evoked by Shakespeare's tragedies and how we often derive enjoyment from tragic drama.

In the sixth installment of our series of mini-lectures on Shakespeare, U-M's beloved emeritus professor of English, Ralph Williams, explores dramatic spaces of moral conundra in which characters are forced to choose between imperfect courses of action where the difference between "right" and "wrong" becomes blurred.

In the seventh installment of our series of mini-lectures on Shakespeare, U-M's beloved emeritus professor of English, Ralph Williams, discusses the role of the individual in Shakespeare's works, exploring the relationship between personal advancement and social isolation.

In the eighth installment of our series of mini-lectures on Shakespeare, U-M's beloved emeritus professor of English, Ralph Williams, explores the pliability of language. Using examples from Richard II, Williams reveals how a phrase's meaning can shift to align with a character's desires -- often leading to disastrous consequences.

In the final installment of our series of mini-lectures on Shakespeare, U-M's beloved emeritus professor of English, Ralph Williams, explores the language of feeling in Shakespeare's works. Using examples from King Lear and The Tempest, he examines the connection between our sense of touch and our ability to empathize with others, establishing emotional understanding as the defining characteristic of humanity.