Cornell's 2007 Barnes Shakespeare Prize went to Will Rosenzweig '08 for his essay "Evil with a hint of social consciousness: Iago and Edmund as advocates for social change." The Barnes prize, founded in 1887 and awarded periodically since 1890, carried an $800 award this year.

"The argument was that the two evil characters, Iago (from 'Othello') and Edmund (from 'King Lear'), are not just pure evil, they are motivated by an egalitarian philosophy because hierarchy has been to their disadvantage," said Rosenzweig, a double major in history and government. "In other words, they put forth a view that the social order they live under should be based upon merit rather than hierarchy. I found out about the contest from my Shakespeare professor, Barbara Correll. She encouraged me to submit the essay I had written for her class. In April, I edited the paper, lengthened it and submitted it. I was proud of the essay, but I never expected to win. It was a thrill and an honor."

Rosenzweig's Barnes essay becomes part of the Cornell Library's Prize Essay Collection, which includes essays and creative work on fields as disparate as forestry and poetry.