Reading Shakespeare in the Age of Cultural Imperialism

Shakespeare, universal? No, it's cultural imperialism

Dr. Emer O'Toole, Lecturer, Royal Holloway College, University of London
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/may/21/shakespeare-universalcultural-imperialism

Where has the idea that Shakespeare is "universal" come from? Why do people the world over study and perform Shakespeare?

Colonialism. That's where, and that's why. Shakespeare was a powerful tool of empire, transported to foreign climes along with the doctrine of European cultural superiority. Taught in schools and performed under the proscenium arches built where the British conquered, universal Shakespeare was both a beacon of the greatness of European civilisation and a gateway into that greatness to know the bard was to be civilised.

What is Cultural Imperialism The cultural imperialism theory developed in

the 1970s argued that Western powers extend their grip over the world not only politically and economically, but also culturally, by flooding other societies with their own cultural products. Cultural imperialism is the practice of imposing one's cultural products and values onto other societies, whether they want it or not, destroying native cultures in the process.

Cultural imperialism is defined as the cultural aspects of imperialism. Imperialism, here, is referring to the creation and maintenance of unequal relationships between civilizations favoring the more powerful civilization. Therefore, it can be defined as the practice of promoting and imposing a culture, usually of politically powerful nations over less potent societies. It is the cultural hegemony of those industrialized or economically influential countries, which determine general cultural values and standardize civilizations throughout the world.

Many scholars employ the term, especially those in the fields of history, cultural studies, and postcolonial theory. Michel Foucault, Edward Sad, Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, Joseph E. Stiglitz are the key figures whose theories laid foundation of the consciousness regarding Cultural Imperialism.

Dr. Emers Reading of Shakespeares Works

Universal my toe. Shakespeare is full of classism, sexism, racism and defunct social mores. The Taming of the Shrew (aka The Shaming of the Vagina-Bearer) is about as universally relevant as the chastity belt. I'm sick of directors tying themselves up in conceptual knots, trying to frame poor Katherina as some kind of feminist heroine. The Merchant of Venice (Or The Evil Jew) is about as universal as the Nuremberg laws. What's that? Shakespeare allows Shylock to express the progressive sentiment that Jews are people before confiscating his property and forcing him to convert to Christianity, therefore Merchant is actually a humanist text? Come off it, sister.

Readers Responses I stopped reading the article at "cultural imperialism" cos I knew it was going to be trash. I'm glad to see this article is getting the ridicule it deserves. A pathetically weak argument of a concept so flawed I don't even know where to begin. What the hell is "cultural imperialism"? Sometimes I can't tell if the Guardian is trying to upstage Private Eye.

Readers Responses

Reading Shakespeare in the Age of Cultural Imperialism