Women Talk Back to Shakespeare: Contemporary Adaptations and Appropriations

This study investigates recent adaptations by women authors or characters that engage with Shakespeare in innovative ways, highlighting the continued relevance of his plays in contemporary society. It explores themes such as adoption, gender fluidity, pandemics, imprisonment, and racism, drawing connections between Shakespeare's works and modern social and political concerns. The book offers a valuable interdisciplinary approach for scholars and students interested in adaptation, women and gender, and intertextuality of Shakespeare's plays.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 190 pages
Publication date: 28 October 2021
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This study delves into the recent adaptations released in the past decade, where women, either as authors or their characters, engage in innovative and diverse ways with Shakespeare's works. The concept of "talking back to Shakespeare," a prevalent term in intertextual discourse, has a long history in literature, particularly in the realm of women writers. Throughout centuries, these writers have responded to Shakespeare's plays with imaginative and often subversive retellings, challenging traditional interpretations and gender roles.

Feminist scholarship has extensively explored the creative responses of women writers to Shakespeare throughout the late twentieth century. However, this book goes beyond that timeframe, bringing together the timelessness of Shakespeare's plays with the contemporary relevance of contemporary literature. It examines how many of Shakespeare's plays continue to hold cultural significance in the modern world, addressing pressing social and political concerns such as adoption and surrogate childrearing, gender fluidity, global pandemics, imprisonment and criminal justice, as well as the intersection of misogyny and racism.

By adopting a fresh interdisciplinary approach, Women Talk Back to Shakespeare serves as an invaluable resource for scholars and students interested in adaptation, women and gender, and the intertextuality of Shakespeare's plays. It encourages a deeper understanding of Shakespeare's works and their enduring relevance in today's society, fostering a more nuanced and comprehensive appreciation of his literary legacy.

Weight: 316g
Dimension: 181 x 234 x 25 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367763527