How Shakespeare Became “Shakespeare”

Last year’s worldwide celebration of the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death anointed “Global Shakespeare” as one of the hottest fields in literary studies. This lecture investigates how Shakespeare’s plays spread across the globe and asks whether his writing can serve as a focal point for the creation of “global cultural heritage,” despite its links to English imperialism. In what ways was Shakespeare a global author in his own day, adopting a worldly approach that transcended his English context? And how did the history of the publication, performance, and criticism of his plays transform Shakespeare into the global cultural commodity we know as “Shakespeare?”

Speakers

• Cyrus R.K. Patell, Professor of Literature, NYUAD; Professor of English, NYU

Hosted by

• NYU Abu Dhabi Institute