Shakespeare in Pakistan
Appropriating the Bard in Theatres, Cinema and Academia

By (author) Zakia Resshid Ehsen

ISBN13: 9781032976471

Imprint: Routledge

Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Format: Hardback

Published: 12/12/2025

Availability: Not yet available

Description
Shakespeare in Pakistan provides an extensive examination of the appropriation of Shakespearean plays in Pakistan, focusing on how it addresses creative, indigenous, cultural, and religious identity expressions. The book analyses how Shakespeare’s texts are used for pedagogical purposes in order to understand cultural differences and similarities between West and the East. The analysis encompasses theatrical and cinematic performances by prominent groups such as Theatre Wallay (2005) and the National Academy for Performing Arts (NAPA) (2005). Utilizing Post-dramatic Theory and Social Identity Theory, the study meticulously explores the re-contextualization of Shakespeare's works in the Pakistani context. Key performances analyzed include 'Hamlet' (2009), 'Richard III' (2018), 'Here Lies a Noble Man' (2015), 'The Comedy of Errors' (2014), and the Urdu adaptation of 'The Taming of the Shrew' titled 'Illaj-e-Zid-Datiyab-Hey' (2012). The book also rigorously examines the appropriations in Pakistani films such as 'Rahm,' television serials 'Burns Road key Romeo and Juliet' (2024), and 'Sang’e’Mah' (2023). The book draws on a variety of sources, including live performances, video recordings, and translated scripts of Shakespeare’s texts into Urdu, specifically used for performance purposes, to interrogate how Shakespeare's texts are taught in Pakistan and how these methodologies have evolved over time. This book will be of interest to postgraduate students, professors, and researchers who are engaged in Shakespeare teaching and learning, particularly on the global stage.
Introduction Chapter 1: Shakespeare's Reception and Appropriation in Pre-Partition of Pakistan Chapter 2: Shakespeare and Pakistan after Independence Chapter 3: Experimentation and Revival of Pakistani Modern Theatre Chapter 4: Sang-e-Mah (2022) Pakistani Recontextualizations of Shakespeare's Hamlet (1601) Chapter 5: Burns Road's Culinary Foodway: A Heterotopic Ode to Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet in Pakistan's Television Serial Chapter 6: Cinematic Appropriation of Shakespeare's Measure for Measure (1603): A Gnoseological Exploration of Pakistani Muslim Identity Chapter 7: Rewriting Shakespeare: Macbeth as Raees in Urdu Tradaptation Chapter 8: Shakespeare in Academia: Institutionalizing Colonial Agendas in Pakistan Chapter 9: Rethinking Shakespeare in Pakistani Academia: Beyond Colonial Pedagogies/ Shakespeare in Pakistan: From Colonial Legacy to Transformative Education
  • Shakespeare plays
  • Literary studies: plays & playwrights
  • Professional & Vocational
  • Tertiary Education (US: College)
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List Price: £145.00