Perhaps the best known of William Shakespeare’s histories, Henry V is based on the events of the titular monarch’s reign. But, as Paul Cantor—one of today’s leading authorities on Shakespeare—explains in conversation with Shaina Trapedo, the play draws heavily on the Tanakh, especially the books of Joshua and Deuteronomy. Cantor points out the biblical echoes in the play’s plot and language, and how its use of biblical tropes illuminates its political and religious subtexts. Even King Henry’s famous St. Crispin’s Day speech, in which he declares “This story shall the good man teach his son” evokes Exodus’s commandment for Passover: “You shall tell your son on that day, ‘Because of this that the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt.’” (Audio, 33 minutes.)

Yesterday, the Iranian foreign minister flew to Geneva to meet with European diplomats. President Trump, meanwhile, indicated that cease-fire negotiations might soon begin with Iran, which would presumably involve Tehran agreeing to make concessions regarding its nuclear program, while Washington pressures Israel to halt its military activities. According to Israeli media, Iran already began putting out feelers to the U.S. earlier this week. Aviram Bellaishe considers the purpose of these overtures:

The regime’s request to return to negotiations stems from the principle of deception and delay that has guided it for decades. Iran wants to extricate itself from a situation of total destruction of its nuclear facilities. It understands that to save the nuclear program, it must stop at a point that would allow it to return to it in the shortest possible time. So long as the negotiation process leads to halting strikes on its military capabilities and preventing the destruction of the nuclear program, and enables the transfer of enriched uranium to a safe location, it can simultaneously create the two tracks in which it specializes—a false facade of negotiations alongside a hidden nuclear race.