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Celebrating Dr. Paul Werstine
A Legacy of Scholarship, Service, and Shakespeare at King’s
For nearly five decades, Dr. Paul Werstine, BA'70, has been synonymous with academic excellence, inspired teaching, and world-class Shakespearean scholarship. As he now enters retirement, the King’s community celebrates an extraordinary career that began on this very campus and grew to shape the global understanding of one of literature’s most enduring figures: William Shakespeare.
Dr. Werstine’s journey with King’s began in 1966, when he arrived from Galt (now Cambridge), Ontario, on a full scholarship, having earned the highest overall average in his high school. Initially intent on studying economics and math, his academic path pivoted when he discovered he couldn’t study economics at King’s. To retain his scholarship, he quickly adapted and chose English and philosophy as his majors. That twist of fate launched a lifelong vocation in literature.
After completing his undergraduate degree, Werstine pursued a master’s degree in English at Western and later earned his PhD from the University of South Carolina. His doctorate explored the 1598 printing of Love’s Labour’s Lost. It took him to libraries across the United States and the United Kingdom, laying the foundation for a distinguished career in textual scholarship.
In 1977, he returned to King’s to fill in for a professor on leave—and never left. Over nearly 50 years of teaching Shakespeare and Medieval and Renaissance English
Literature, he inspired countless students with his deep knowledge, quick wit, and unflagging enthusiasm. Known for closing his eyes in moments of thought-provoking reflection—a habit that earned both affectionate curiosity and admiration—his lectures were anything but sleepy. As Principal Gerry Killan once noted, “Woe to anyone who might confuse this behavioural trait with the dozing of an absent-minded professor!”
In 2003, Dr. Werstine received the King’s College Award of Excellence in Teaching. He also earned graduating class awards in 2003, 2007, and 2009, a testament to his lasting impact on generations of students. One such student, Olivia Holland, BA'24, reflected: “His expertise, wit, and kindness created an engaging learning environment. That Shakespeare course changed my perspective.”
Beyond the classroom, Dr. Werstine is one of the world’s foremost scholars in English Literature and Shakespeare Studies. He has served as the co-editor of the Folger Library edition of Shakespeare’s plays and poems (19922010) and the co-general editor of the Modern Language Association’s New Variorum Shakespeare edition. He has written widely about the early printings of Shakespeare, the Shakespeare editorial tradition, and dramatic manuscripts, especially in Early Modern Playhouse Manuscripts and the Editing of Shakespeare (Cambridge University Press, 2012). A review of this monograph noted that Werstine “changed a fundamental part of the way (current thought about Shakespearean texts) …will be developed in the future.”
His dedication to research earned him numerous accolades, including the inaugural Hugh Mellon Excellence in Research Award in 2015 and election as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada in 2010, one of the highest honours for a Canadian academic.
But Dr. Werstine’s impact extended far beyond accolades. He was a tireless contributor to the life of the King’s. Whether chairing the English department, serving on committees, mentoring junior colleagues, or guiding graduate students through complex research, he gave generously of his time and wisdom.
“Regardless of his workload, he’s the first to step up when duty calls,” said Dr. Claudia Clausius, Associate Professor in the Department of English, French, and Writing and Coordinator of Foundations/King’s Scholar. “With his incisive logic, institutional memory, and courage to speak up, he’s helped many of us in difficult times.”
Dr. Werstine also nurtured public appreciation of Shakespeare. He shared his knowledge at alumni events, such as the annual Stratford Festival trips, and even reached international audiences with lectures in Beijing. During the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, he recorded a poignant reading of Sonnet 116 and a scene from Romeo and Juliet—a gift to the King’s community on Shakespeare’s birthday.
Dr. Ian Rae, Department Chair and Associate Professor of English, captured the sentiment of many: “Dr. Werstine’s legacy at King’s has no equal. He was the first to prove that King’s grads and professors could reach the pinnacle of their chosen professions.”
In recognition of his outstanding service, Dr. Werstine was named one of King’s inaugural Distinguished University Professors in 2023, an honour that aptly crowns his illustrious career.
While Dr. Werstine’s daily presence at King’s will be missed, his influence on students, colleagues, and Shakespeare scholarship will endure.
As Dr. Brian Patton, Associate Professor of English, summed it up: “He represents the very best of us.”
A LASTING TRIBUTE
To honour his legacy and support future generations of students, King’s has launched a campaign to create the Paul Werstine Student Award. This award will provide lasting financial support for King’s students and carry forward Dr. Werstine’s passion for teaching and literature. Donate today!
