Local and Global Myths in Shakespearean Performance

This collection of scholarly essays offers a new understanding of local and global myths that have been constructed around Shakespeare in theatre, cinema, and television from the nineteenth century to the present. Drawing on a definition of myth as a powerful ideological narrative, Local and Global Myths in Shakespearean Performance examines historical, political, and cultural conditions of Shakespearean performances in Europe, Asia, and North and South America. The first part of this volume offers a theoretical introduction to Shakespeare as myth from a twenty-first century perspective. The second part critically evaluates myths of linguistic transcendence, authenticity, and universality within broader European, neo-liberal, and post-colonial contexts. The study of local identities and global icons in the third part uncovers dynamic relationships between regional, national, and transnational myths of Shakespeare. The fourth part revises persistent narratives concerning a political potential of Shakespeare’s plays in communist and post-communist countries. Finally, part five explores the influence of commercial and popular culture on Shakespeare myths. Michael Dobson’s Afterword concludes the volume by locating Shakespeare within classical mythology and contemporary concerns.

Aneta Mancewicz is Lecturer in Drama and Theatre Arts at the University of Birmingham, UK. She works on Shakespearean performance, intermediality, and European theatre. Her book publications include Intermedial Shakespeares on European Stages (Palgrave Macmillan, 2014) and Biedny Hamlet [Poor Hamlet] (2010).

 

Alexa Alice Joubin is Professor of English at George Washington University, USA where she serves as founding Co-director of the Digital Humanities Institute. She held the Fulbright Distinguished Chair in Global Shakespeare at Queen Mary University of London and University of Warwick, UK. At Middlebury College, she holds the John M. Kirk, Jr. Chair in Medieval and Renaissance Literature.