'Imagined communities': Reconsidering European Shakespeares. Issue 1 (July 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Schülting, Sabine
• Is Part Of: Cahiers élisabéthains. Volume 96:Issue 1(2018)
• Page Start: 160
• Page End: 171
• Publication Date: 2018-07
• Subjects: William Shakespeare -- The Merchant of Venice -- Europe identity -- imagined community -- hip-hop; William Shakespeare -- The Merchant of Venice -- identité européenne -- communauté imaginaire -- hip-hop; English literature -- Early modern, 1500-1700 -- History and criticism -- Periodicals; English literature -- Early modern, 1500-1700 -- History and criticism -- Book reviews -- Periodicals; 820.9003
• DOI: 10.1177/0184767818761144
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0184-7678

Abstract

Focusing on two productions of this past decade of The Merchant of Venice in Germany, the article challenges the predominant national focus of 'European Shakespeares'. It suggests that contemporary Shakespeare productions can indeed comment on Europe's intricate relations – political, economic and cultural – with other parts of the world, and on the tension between English as a lingua franca and the cultural and linguistic diversity of Europe. It suggests to complicate, with Shakespeare, the notion of 'European identity', in a time of mass migration, multi-ethnic societies and the globalization of economy, media and the arts.