SHAKESPEARE IN INDIA: A HISTORICAL EXPLORATION
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29121/shodhkosh.v5.i6.2024.2623Keywords:
Shakespeare, British Superiority, Imperialism, Adaptations, ReceptionAbstract [English]
Shakespeare’s journey from theatres to classrooms can be interpreted as a colonial strategy. His plays transcended geographical boundaries and impacted audiences beyond England. This paper analyses how Shakespeare’s works were used as a tool by the British colonial government to inculcate a sense of British superiority among Indians. Nevertheless, Indian intellectuals embraced Shakespeare’s works by incorporating native aesthetics and translating them into regional languages. Shakespeare’s universal themes were accessible to the Indian masses and pertinent to Indian socio-political and philosophical contexts. The paper also explores the reception of Shakespeare's plays in India and how the colonial mission influenced the academic pursuits of Indian scholars such as Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, Rabindranath Tagore, and R.V. Subbarao. Moreover, adaptations such as Haider and Maqbool provide insights into how Shakespeare’s works are still incorporated in the postcolonial era, beyond historical and cultural barriers. This study highlights Shakespeare's influence in India through translations, adaptations, critical contributions, and educational practices that identify his works as symbols of colonial power, which have evolved into manifestations of Indian cultural identity.
References
Anand, Manpreet Kaur. An Overview of Hamlet Studies. Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2019.
Chaudhuri, Sukanta, editor. The Shakespearean International Yearbook Vol. 12: Shakespeare in India. Ashgate, 2012.
Haider. Directed by Vishal Bhardwaj, UTV Motion Pictures, 2014.
Harris, Jonathan Gil. Masala Shakespeare. Routledge, 2019.
Koyippally, Dr. Joseph. “Shakespeare Scholarship in India.” Week 16: Module E – Localizing Shakespeare, Unit 40, 2024.
Loomba, Ania. Shakespeare and Race. Oxford University Press, 2002.
Maqbool. Directed by Vishal Bhardwaj. Kaleidoscope Entertainment, 2003.
Nagarajan, S., and S. Viswanathan, editors. Shakespeare in India. Oxford University Press, 1987.
Naikar, Basava Raj, editor. Indian Response to Shakespeare. Sahitya Akademi, 2001.
Omkaara. Directed by Vishal Bhardwaj. Shemaroo Entertainment, 2006.
Panja, Shormishta, and Moitra Saraf, editors. Performing Shakespeare in India. Routledge, 2021.
Satpathy, Basant K. Shakspiyar Kahaanimaala. 1977.
“Shakespeare in India.” Internet Shakespeare Editions, University of Victoria, https://internetshakespeare.uvic.ca/Library/Criticism/shakespearein/india3/index.html.
Shakespeare, William. Measure for Measure. Edited by S. Nagarajan, Signet Classics, 1964.
Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. Edited by Ann Thompson and Neil Taylor, 3rd ed., Bloomsbury Arden Shakespeare, 2016.
Shakespeare, William. Macbeth. Edited by Sandra Clark and Pamela Mason, 3rd ed., Bloomsbury Arden Shakespeare, 2015.
Shakespeare, William. Othello. Edited by E.A.J. Honigmann, 2nd ed., Bloomsbury Arden Shakespeare, 1997.
Shakespeare, William. Romeo and Juliet. Edited by René Weis, 3rd ed., Bloomsbury Arden Shakespeare, 2012.
Shakespeare, William. A Midsummer Night's Dream. Edited by Harold F. Brooks, 3rd ed., Bloomsbury Arden Shakespeare, 1979.
Shakespeare, William. The Merchant of Venice. Edited by John Drakakis, 3rd ed., Bloomsbury Arden Shakespeare, 2010.
Shakespeare, William. Julius Caesar. Edited by David Daniell, 2nd ed., Bloomsbury Arden Shakespeare, 1998.
Shakespeare, William. King Lear. Edited by R.A. Foakes, 3rd ed., Bloomsbury Arden Shakespeare, 1997.
Shakespeare, William. Twelfth Night. Edited by Keir Elam, 3rd ed., Bloomsbury Arden Shakespeare, 2008.
Shakespeare, William. The Tempest. Edited by Virginia Mason Vaughan and Alden T. Vaughan, 3rd ed., Bloomsbury Arden Shakespeare, 2011.
“Shakespeare More Popular in China, Mexico, and Turkey Than in the UK, British Council Survey Finds.” The Guardian, 19 Apr. 2016, www.theguardian.com/culture/2016/apr/19/shakespeare-popular-china-mexico-turkey-than-uk-british-council-survey?CMP=share_btn_url.
Shankar, D. A., editor. Shakespeare in Indian Languages. Sahitya Akademi, 1999.
Trivedi, Poonam, and Dennis Bartholomeusz, editors. India’s Shakespeare: Translation, Interpretation, and Performance. University of Delaware Press, 2005.
Trivedi, Poonam, and Paromita Chakravarti, editors. Shakespeare and Indian Cinemas. Routledge, 2016.
“William Shakespeare Infused into Indian Culture.” The Statesman, 23 Apr. 2019, www.thestatesman.com/entertainment/william-shakespeare-infused-into-indian-culture-1502747595.html.
Younghusband, Francis. “Shakespeare in India.” Sir Francis Younghusband Papers, 1921-1937, British Library, London. Typescript and handwritten manuscript. British Library Untold Lives, https://britishlibrary.typepad.co.uk/untoldlives/2016/05/shakespeare.india.html.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 Yogesh Kumar Dubey, Bineet Kaur
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
With the licence CC-BY, authors retain the copyright, allowing anyone to download, reuse, re-print, modify, distribute, and/or copy their contribution. The work must be properly attributed to its author.
It is not necessary to ask for further permission from the author or journal board.
This journal provides immediate open access to its content on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge.
