How often have remarked, “Let’s forgive and forget?” Characters in Shakespeare’s plays say it, too. But what does the phrase mean? Why do we say it, and why did King Lear?

Sometimes, the best way to grasp the brilliance of Shakespeare is to look closely at something small but thought-provoking in his works. Peter Holland, one of the world’s foremost authorities on the great writer and his plays, examines his skill at subtly raising questions that resonate to this day–with “forgive and forget” being particularly resonant and vexing.

Holland is the McMeel Family Professor in Shakespeare Studies and associate dean for the arts at the University of Notre Dame. His presentation is part of the McMeel Family Shakespeare Series in collaboration with the Heart of America Shakespeare Festival.