Guest Lecturer Course: Kinga Földváry

7. 10. 2024

Cultural transfer in Shakespeare studies – encounters between high and low, East and West, Shakespeare and popular culture

The three lectures look at the processes of cultural transfer that we can observe when the traditions of early modern theatre and Shakespeare become canonised and institutionalised through publication, education and criticism. At the same time, Shakespeare can be approached from various viewpoints, through the lenses of literary criticism or performance criticism as well, emphasising textual or performative aspects, and pointing out the medium-specificity of the two parallel but often contrasting manifestations – Shakespeare on the stage vs Shakespeare on the page.

At the same time, we can also witness the opposite cultural processes in contemporary popular culture, when canonised, high cultural texts are poached and appropriated into popular media and contexts. First and foremost film and serial adaptations, but fragmented, loose quotations and passing references or memes all testify to the continuing presence, but a significantly changed position of Shakespeare and his oeuvre.

Part of these processes also involve cultural hybridisation, when the so-called Western cultural heritage travels to Eastern contexts, meeting e.g. Japanese or Indian theatrical and cinematic traditions, and these encounters produce hybrid products that can also reflect on the socio-historical context of colonisation and the postcolonial era.

Course will consist of 3 lectures taking place as follows:

• 22nd Tuesday 16.00 –⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ room G03
• 23rd Wendesday 12.00 –⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ room J01
• 24th Thursday 10.00 –⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ room G01

You can enroll in the course in the IS.