Global Shakespeare and Social Injustice: Towards a Transformative Encounter

This book responds to the call for social justice in early modern cultural studies by exploring the relationship between Shakespeare studies and social injustice. It suggests that a revision of the critical lexicon is necessary to understand the connections between these two areas and proposes radical and transformative pedagogy, theatre-making, and scholarship as potential responses. The contributors invoke and invert the paradigm of Global Shakespeare, considering the North/South constructions that have shaped this field and exploring how Shakespeares imagination has been used by theatre-makers and scholars to pursue a more just world.

Format: Hardback
Length: 280 pages
Publication date: 01 June 2023
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

This book represents a timely response to a crucial juncture in early modern cultural studies, where the academy is being called upon to address issues of social justice. To effectively explore the relationship between Shakespeare studies and the enduring manifestations of social injustice that permeate cultural, political, and economic realms, a revision of the critical lexicon is necessary. This volume serves as a valuable tool in envisioning what radical and transformative pedagogy, theatre-making, and scholarship might entail. The contributors to this volume both invoke and challenge the paradigm of Global Shakespeare, building upon the significant contributions of this scholarly field over the past few decades while also proposing avenues through which it may fall short in accommodating the diverse "global Shakespeares" presented herein.

A focal point on social justice and the myriad forms of social injustice that demand our attention leads us to examine the North/South constructions that have tended to shape Global Shakespeare conceptually. Similarly, the material histories of "North" and "South" have shaped global injustice as we recognize it today. Such a focus invites us to contemplate the innovative ways in which theatre-makers and scholars have appropriated Shakespeare's imagination and mobilized it in the pursuit of a more just world.

In conclusion, this book offers a timely and thought-provoking exploration of the intersections between Shakespeare studies, social justice, and global perspectives. It encourages scholars and theatre-makers to reimagine the potential of Shakespeare's works to address contemporary social challenges and promote a more equitable and compassionate world.

Dimension: 216 x 138 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781350335097