The journey of Shakespeare's works into the Arab world tells a fascinating story of cultural dialogue, adaptation, and transformation. This essay explores how Shakespeare’s timeless themes of love, power, justice, and identity have been meaningfully woven into the rich tapestry of Arab literature and theater. From initial receptions to intricate translations, Arab intellectuals have not only navigated the linguistic complexities of Shakespeare’s texts but have also engaged in a profound reimagining of his characters and narratives to reflect their own socio-cultural landscapes.
At the heart of this engagement lies the transformative power of adaptation, where Shakespearean plays are not simply translated but are carefully Arabized to align with regional sensibilities. Such adaptations emphasize a cultural negotiation that goes beyond linguistic equivalence, as seen in the renaming and setting adjustments, like "Othello" morphing into "Ata Allah". These transformations echo a broader Arab engagement with Shakespeare, where themes are reinterpreted within local contexts to resonate with societal norms and address contemporary issues.
Further enriching this dialogue, Arab intellectuals have positioned Shakespeare’s works as lenses to critique and navigate complex socio-political realities. This is evident in adaptations that tackle themes of patriarchal oppression and intercultural conflict, drawing parallels with existing challenges within Arab societies. Moreover, the critical scholarship offered by Arab voices has contributed significantly to global understanding, presenting Shakespeare not merely as an icon of Western literature but as a figure whose narratives are profoundly relevant across diverse cultural frontiers.
As we delve deeper into historical receptions, translation challenges, cultural interpretations, and literary adaptations, this multi-dimensional analysis seeks to illuminate the dynamic and ongoing dialogue between Shakespearean universality and Arab cultural narratives. Through this lens, we witness a testament to Shakespeare’s adaptability, illustrating how his works have continuously inspired, challenged, and reflected the ever-evolving discourse on identity, power, and social justice within the Arab world.
Historical Reception of Shakespeare in the Arab World in Academic Journals
The historical reception of Shakespeare in the Arab world reveals a complex interplay of cultural adaptation, interpretation, and transformation within the landscape of Arabic literature. This multifaceted engagement with Shakespearean texts speaks to broader inquiries into how Arabs have interpreted the Bard's works, reshaping them to reflect their unique cultural realities.
Initial interactions with Shakespeare in the Arab world underscored a necessity to adapt rather than directly translate, resulting in culturally nuanced versions that aligned with Arabic sensibilities. For instance, early adaptations engaged in a process of Arabization to ensure resonance with local audiences. As noted by Amine et al. (2019), this often involved significant changes such as altering character names and settings, as seen in the transformation of Othello into "Ata Allah" (Amine, Neill, Schalkwyk, 2019). Such modifications reflect deeper cultural negotiations, whereby the core themes—love, honor, and power—were preserved, yet recontextualized within Arabic narratives.
These endeavors were not merely about linguistic translation but involved a profound cultural exchange that interwove Shakespeare's universality with regional distinctiveness. For example, adaptations like "Akhir Yom," an Arabic version of Romeo and Juliet, demonstrate how characters and plots could be transformed to bear socio-cultural relevance, ultimately offering commentary on contemporary issues such as patriarchal oppression and intercultural conflict (Khoury, 2015).
Arab intellectuals have significantly influenced global Shakespearean scholarship by using these texts as lenses through which to critique and navigate domestic socio-political challenges. Litvin's exploration of "Hamlet's Arab Journey" illustrates how Hamlet was appropriated to address issues beyond colonial legacies, reflecting on national identity and political upheavals within the Arab world, particularly during periods of pan-Arab nationalism (Alami, 2016). This transformative reading underscores how the play's themes of existential dilemma and moral justice resonated within the Arabic context, thereby expanding its interpretative breadth.
Contemporary adaptations continue to echo this rich tradition of cultural engagement with Shakespeare. For instance, the works of Fadia Faqir and Samar Attar engage with texts like Othello and creatively challenge their patriarchal narratives to reflect evolving gender dynamics within Arabic societies (Hamamra, 2018), (Alhawamdeh, 2019). Attar's novel, Lina: A Portrait of a Damascene Girl, for example, rejects submissive female roles in Romeo and Juliet, constructing a narrative that empowers its protagonist beyond Shakespearean constraints (Alhawamdeh, 2019).
Shakespeare's works have thus been a catalyst for cultural discourse in the Arab world, inviting interpretations that reflect both convergence and divergence in thematic representation. By examining these historical receptions, scholars gain insight into a dynamic process where literary texts are not merely preserved but are re-conceived to reflect local realities. This interplay continues to foster a dialogue between the universality of Shakespeare's themes and the particularities of Arabic cultural traditions, emphasizing the enduring adaptability and relevance of his works (Hennessey, 2018).
Challenges in translating Shakespeare's works into Arabic language
The challenges in translating Shakespeare's works into the Arabic language highlight a rich tapestry of cultural, linguistic, and historical negotiations, offering profound insights into the broader question of how Arabs have read and interpreted Shakespeare. At the core of these challenges is the inherent complexity of faithfully rendering Shakespeare's nuanced expressions and intricate themes in a way that resonates with Arabic cultural sensibilities, a process deeply tied to the historical evolution of Arabic drama itself.
One principal challenge arises from the absence of a direct equivalent for the Western dramatic form in classical Arabic literature until the mid-nineteenth century. This necessitated the importation and adaptation of Western genres, with Shakespeare's works becoming a cornerstone for this transformation. Early adaptations often involved significant modifications, ensuring that the themes remained culturally relevant to Arab audiences. This aligned with an Arabization process in adaptations such as the renaming of Othello to "Ata Allah," reflecting a broader cultural negotiation to integrate Shakespeare's narratives within local contexts (Amine, Neill, & Schalkwyk, 2019).
The adaptation of Shakespeare’s themes also required a reconceptualization to reflect Arab socio-political realities. This was evident in many localized adaptations, such as Akhir Yom, an Arabic reimagining of Romeo and Juliet, which infused the play with regional concerns about patriarchal oppression and social conflict (Khoury, 2015). These adaptations were not merely linguistic translations but rather involved a profound recontextualization that respected Shakespearean universality while embedding the narratives within indigenous cultural frameworks.
Moreover, the rendering of Shakespeare's texts into Arabic has historically been a vehicle for engaging with nuanced socio-political critiques and debates. Margaret Litvin's examination in Hamlet's Arab Journey showcases how adaptations of Hamlet have been used as mirrors to reflect the internal dynamics of Arab societies, particularly during periods of political change such as the era of pan-Arab nationalism (Alami, 2016). Such adaptations often sought to complement the existential themes inherent in Shakespeare's works with local concerns about justice and identity, illustrating a dynamic interplay between Western and Arab literary traditions.
The engagement with Shakespeare has also transformed over time to critique and reinterpret gender dynamics, as seen in the works of contemporary authors like Fadia Faqir and Samar Attar. Their narratives challenge traditional patriarchal readings of Othello and Romeo and Juliet, respectively, offering new perspectives on femininity and empowerment within Arab societies (Hamamra, 2018), (Alhawamdeh, 2019).
These ongoing dialogues between Shakespearean and Arabic literature reflect a continuous process of reinterpretation and adaptation, shedding light on how themes of love, power, and identity are harnessed to reflect and critique contemporary realities. The adaptability of Shakespeare's works underscores their universal relevance while highlighting the specific challenges and opportunities presented by their translation into Arabic, thereby enriching the broader scholarship on Shakespeare's global impact and the role of cultural narratives in shaping literary interpretation (Hennessey, 2018).
Cultural themes in Shakespeare's plays as interpreted by Arabic scholars
The historical reception of Shakespeare in the Arab world is deeply intertwined with cultural interpretation, adaptation, and the critical transformation of themes, reflecting broader inquiries into how Arabs have engaged with the Bard's extensive body of work. The endeavor to merge Shakespearean texts with Arabic cultural realities reveals a long-standing tradition of adaptation, one that has integrated Western narratives into the rich tapestry of Arabic literature. This engagement goes beyond mere translation, venturing into cultural negotiation that sees the recontextualization of Shakespeare's works to resonate with local sensibilities and social conditions.
Early interactions with Shakespeare in the Arab world prominently featured adaptations that were attuned to the Arab cultural context. These transformations were not literal translations but involved comprehensive alterations meant to harmonize Shakespeare's universal themes—such as love, honor, and power—with regional narratives. Khalid Amine and others note, for example, the adaptation of Othello as "Ata Allah," a character more resonant with Arab audiences, demonstrating a significant cultural dialogue that preserved the thematic essence while modifying its expressions to fit an Arab framework (Amine, Neill, & Schalkwyk, 2019).
The thematic integration further extended to addressing local socio-political realities through Shakespearean narratives. Arabic adaptations like "Akhir Yom," which reimagines Romeo and Juliet, infuse the play with regional cultural concerns, highlighting issues such as patriarchal dominance and intercultural conflicts (Khoury, 2015). These adaptations demonstrate that Arab interpretations of Shakespeare are embedded with layers of meaning that engage with current social narratives, reflecting a robust interaction between global literary canons and indigenous cultural frameworks.
Moreover, the adaptability of Shakespeare's texts has allowed them to serve as a conduit for broader intellectual discussions and socio-political critiques. Margaret Litvin illuminates how Hamlet, in particular, has been adopted in the Arab world not just as a classic text but as a narrative deeply embedded with local political symbolism, especially during the socio-political upheavals associated with Arab nationalism (Alami, 2016). The play's existential undercurrents and considerations of justice align well with the dynamic political discourse in various Arab countries, showcasing considerable convergence even amid cultural divergence.
Contemporary engagements with Shakespeare continue this tradition of cultural dialogue and critique. Authors like Fadia Faqir and Samar Attar have employed Shakespearean works to interrogate and challenge gender norms and patriarchal systems within their narratives. These modern narratives employ the critical framework of Shakespeare’s themes to address issues of feminine agency and empowerment in the context of modern Arab societies (Hamamra, 2018), (Alhawamdeh, 2019).
Overall, the historical reception and adaptation of Shakespeare in the Arab world underscore the playwright's enduring relevance and the capacity of his works to speak to diverse cultural experiences. The cross-cultural exchanges encapsulated in these adaptations deepened the dialogue between Shakespearean narratives and Arabic cultural traditions, illustrating the multifaceted ways in which Arab scholars read Shakespeare. This ongoing engagement not only enhances the understanding of Shakespeare’s global influence but also enriches the cultural narratives that are continuously shaped by these literary dialogues (Hennessey, 2018).
Adaptations of Shakespeare's works in Arab literature and theater
Shakespeare's works have transcended their original contexts to find new meanings and relevance within Arab literary and theatrical traditions, reflecting a rich tapestry of cultural exchanges, adaptations, and transformations. This exploration aligns with the broader research proposition of "How Did Arabs Read Shakespeare?" by illustrating how Arabs have interacted with the Bard's works, reimagining them in ways that resonate with local cultural, social, and political realities.
One significant aspect of these adaptations is the Arabization of Shakespeare’s works to align with regional sensibilities. As Khalid Amine and colleagues observe, early adaptations involved changing character names and settings, with "Othello" being transformed into "Ata Allah" to better fit Arab cultural narratives (Amine, Neill, & Schalkwyk, 2019). This process of cultural adaptation reflects a deeper negotiation between preserving Shakespeare’s universal themes and ensuring they resonate within an Arab context.
Arabic adaptations have also served as vehicles for engaging with pressing socio-political issues. For instance, "Akhir Yom," an Arabic reimagining of Romeo and Juliet, incorporates themes of patriarchal oppression and intercultural conflict, proving that Shakespeare's narratives can be adapted to comment on contemporary societal challenges in the Arab world (Khoury, 2015). These adaptations are not mere translations but profound recontextualizations that infuse the plays with local cultural concerns.
The intellectual engagement with Shakespeare's works is further exemplified by Arab scholars' reinterpretations of the themes within Hamlet. Margaret Litvin highlights how Hamlet has been appropriated to reflect issues beyond colonial legacies, addressing national identity and political upheavals within the Arab world, particularly during periods of pan-Arab nationalism (Alami, 2016). This transformative reading underscores the adaptability of Shakespeare's existential themes and their resonance within the Arabic cultural and political milieu.
Furthermore, contemporary Arab authors like Fadia Faqir and Samar Attar continue to engage with Shakespeare's works to critique and reinterpret gender dynamics. Their narratives challenge traditional patriarchal readings of Othello and Romeo and Juliet, offering new perspectives on femininity and empowerment within Arab contexts (Hamamra, 2018), (Alhawamdeh, 2019). These adaptations serve as critical commentaries on the evolving role of women in Arab societies, reflecting an ongoing dialogue between Shakespearean themes and contemporary cultural narratives.
Overall, the adaptations of Shakespeare's works within Arab literature and theater highlight the dynamic interplay between global literary canons and local cultural frameworks. They illustrate how Shakespeare’s themes of love, power, and identity are continuously reinterpreted to reflect and critique contemporary realities, thereby enriching both the understanding of Shakespeare's global influence and the cultural narratives within Arab literary traditions (Hennessey, 2018).
Influence of Arab intellectuals on global Shakespearean scholarship
The influence of Arab intellectuals on global Shakespearean scholarship stems from a robust tradition of cultural integration and reinterpretation, wherein Shakespeare's works are not only translated but also transformed to reflect local sensibilities and issues. This ongoing dialogue between Shakespearean texts and Arabic culture underlines the broader question of "How Did Arabs Read Shakespeare?" through a lens that marries Western literary traditions with Eastern cultural narratives.
The adaptation of Shakespeare's works in the Arab world often involved modifications to align with local cultural and social contexts—a process crucial for making these texts resonate with Arab audiences. For example, early adaptations involved the Arabization of key figures and themes, such as renaming characters and adjusting settings to better fit Arabic cultural narratives. A notable instance of this is "Othello's" transformation into "Ata Allah," showcasing how Arab intellectuals navigated the cultural discrepancies to create relevance (Amine, Neill, & Schalkwyk, 2019).
Beyond linguistic translation, these adaptations imbued Shakespeare’s narratives with contemporary socio-political meanings. Adaptations like "Akhir Yom" significantly recontextualized Romeo and Juliet to comment on patriarchal oppression and intercultural tensions, showing how these classic tales were re-envisioned to address local realities (Khoury, 2015). Such creative reinterpretations exemplify the nuanced interplay between Shakespeare's universal themes and specific cultural contexts.
In exploring Shakespeare's Hamlet, Margaret Litvin outlines how Arab adaptations moved beyond colonial influences to engage deeply with themes of national identity and socio-political critique, particularly within the framework of pan-Arab nationalism (Alami, 2016). This focus on existential dilemmas and moral justice within an Arab intellectual context highlights the adaptability of Shakespeare's themes across different cultures and historical moments.
Furthermore, contemporary authors like Fadia Faqir and Samar Attar have contributed to this dialogue by challenging traditional gender representations in Shakespeare's works. Their reinterpretations of Othello and Romeo and Juliet provide a critical lens on femininity and agency, aligning with broader movements toward gender equality in Arab societies (Hamamra, 2018), (Alhawamdeh, 2019).
The role of Arab intellectuals in reshaping global Shakespearean scholarship is thus characterized by a vibrant tradition of adaptation and interpretation, which enriches the understanding of Shakespeare's influence beyond the Western literary canon. Through these cultural exchanges, Shakespeare's works gain new dimensions, reflecting local narratives while participating in a global dialogue about literature's role in societal reflection and critique (Hennessey, 2018).
Arab Perspectives on Shakespeare's Characters and Narratives
In examining Arab perspectives on Shakespeare's characters and narratives, we delve into a rich tapestry of cultural interpretation, adaptation, and critical transformation, presenting a nuanced understanding of the Bard's work through an Arabic lens. The translation "Qiṣaṣ min Shīkisbīr" by Muhammad Badran (Shakespeare, 1943), alongside other translated interpretations, exemplify how these narratives and characters have been adapted and interpreted to align with, and often critique, Arab cultural and social contexts.
In "Qiṣaṣ min Shīkisbīr," Badran’s translation and adaptation of Shakespeare's Othello, for example, reflects profound cultural exchanges. The character of Othello, while maintaining his intrinsic characteristics, is infused with deeper layers influenced by the translator's cultural perspective. According to Badran's interpretation, traditional elements such as Othello's tragic jealousy are transcended by an exploration into the social and cultural connotations of honor and dignity within a more localized context. This reflects broader themes within Arabic literature that often revolve around personal and collective honor—a concept deeply enmeshed with the socio-historical fabric of Arab societies. Consequently, this translation not only pays homage to the original text but also enriches it with culturally relevant themes. Badran captures this by portraying Othello's "raging, devastating jealousy" as something that permeates noble bearings with a brutal, destructive force, connecting it to local sensibilities and thematic elements present in Arab literature.
Furthermore, Arabic adaptations and readings often illustrate a distinctive take on more abstract and universal themes present in Shakespeare's plays. In Qusous’s "Maʻa Shakisbīr", the author delineates how Arab readers view Hamlet not solely confined within its introspective existential dilemmas but rather as a narrative imbued with political symbolism and cultural introspection about leadership and moral responsibility. Qusous portrays Prince Hamlet as a figure that is simultaneously "contemplative and constrained," mirroring philosophical introspections within the Arab intellectual tradition that consider both personal and societal morality holistically (Qusūs, 1950).
These adaptations also highlight significant differences in the depiction of societal roles and structures as seen in the comprehensive catalog offered in Charles and Mary Lamb's translated works with Badran’s translation help, where soldiers, merchants, and even grave-diggers are meticulously documented and analyzed "Shāʻir al-kawn Wilyam Shikisbīr" (Ḥabīb & Ḥammād, 1944). This documentation reveals Shakespeare's interest in depicting the full spectrum of human experience, an aspect that unfolds uniquely under Arab literary scrutiny. When Arab translators and interpreters engage with these characters, they often underscore career paths and social roles that resonate deeply within Arabic socio-cultural frameworks, offering commentary on social hierarchies and cultural norms.
Another prominent theme interwoven by Arabic translators involves the powerful narratives of female characters. For instance, in the works of contemporary authors like Samar Attar, the portrayal of female figures transcends original Shakespearean narratives, offering new dimensions that challenge patriarchal constraints inherent in both Western and Arabic contexts. Attar’s novel Lina: A Portrait of a Damascene Girl recasts figures akin to Juliet within a more empowered, resonant role, illustrating Arab women’s resistance against traditional submissive roles, thereby refashioning Shakespeare’s narratives to reflect modern societal challenges (Alhawamdeh, 2019).
The Arabian interpretation of Shakespeare's historical plays also showcases a distinct focus on the perennial struggles of power and leadership. This is evident in the work "Shāʻir al-kawn Wilyam Shikisbīr," where the translator's note highlights the portrayal of nobles and common folk, a dichotomy deeply ingrained in both the Shakespearean and Arab historical consciousness (Ḥabīb & Ḥammād, 1944). Here, the narratives of Julius Caesar are not just depictions of political machinations but serve as cautionary tales of leadership susceptible to manipulation by public opinion—a discourse highly relevant to Arab political narratives (Qusūs, 1950).
In essence, the Arab reading of Shakespeare is a dynamic phenomenon showcasing the fluidity of cultural narratives as Arab scholars, authors, and translators adapt these plays to convey profound thematic relevance, address socio-political challenges, and reflect the relentless pursuit of understanding identity and power. Shakespeare, through the Arab lens, emerges as not merely a playwright of the English past but as a transhistorical figure whose narratives continue to inspire, challenge, and engage across cultures and time, illuminating the enduring adaptability and relevance of his works (Hennessey, 2018).
Comparative analysis of Shakespearean themes with Arabic literary traditions
The comparative analysis of Shakespearean themes with Arabic literary traditions reveals an intricate tapestry of adaptation and transformation, illuminating how Arabs have engaged with and interpreted the Bard's works across different contexts. Central to this exploration is the understanding that Arabic adaptations often involved more than mere translation; they were comprehensive cultural negotiations that integrated indigenous narratives with Shakespeare's universal themes.
Early adaptations of Shakespeare's works in the Arab world involved significant cultural modifications to resonate with local sensibilities. This process is evident in the Arabization of characters and settings, such as the transformation of Othello into "Ata Allah," highlighting the necessity to adapt Shakespeare's narratives to align with Arabic cultural expectations (Amine, Neill, Schalkwyk, 2019). These adaptations often preserved the thematic essence of love, honor, and power while embedding them within local contexts, ensuring that Shakespeare's narratives were both accessible and relevant to Arab audiences.
The adaptation of Shakespearean themes further extended to social and political commentary. For instance, the Arabic adaptation Akhir Yom, based on Romeo and Juliet, incorporated regional cultural issues such as patriarchal oppression and intercultural conflict, demonstrating the ability of Shakespeare's works to provide a platform for addressing contemporary societal challenges (Khoury, 2015). These adaptations were not only a testament to Shakespeare's universality but also to the adaptability of his works to reflect local narratives.
Arab intellectuals have significantly influenced global Shakespearean scholarship by using these texts as lenses for critique and navigation of domestic socio-political issues. In "Hamlet's Arab Journey," Margaret Litvin explores how Hamlet was appropriated to address themes of national identity and political upheaval during pan-Arab nationalism (Alami, 2016). This demonstrates how Arab adaptations of Shakespeare extended beyond colonial legacies to engage deeply with existential themes that resonated within the Arab discourse of justice and identity.
Contemporary Arab engagement with Shakespeare continues to challenge and reinterpret traditional narratives. Authors like Fadia Faqir and Samar Attar have utilized Shakespeare's works to critique gender dynamics and patriarchal structures. Their narratives, which reimagine and empower Shakespearean female figures, reflect broader movements towards gender equality and agency within Arab societies (Hamamra, 2018), (Alhawamdeh, 2019).
Overall, the engagement with Shakespeare's works in the Arab world reveals a dynamic interplay between global literary canons and local cultural frameworks. This interaction has led to the reimagining of Shakespeare's themes to reflect and critique contemporary realities, thus enriching the understanding of Shakespeare's global influence and the cultural narratives within Arab literary traditions (Hennessey, 2018).
Conclusion
The examination of Shakespeare's reception and adaptation in the Arab world reveals a multifaceted interaction characterized by profound cultural exchanges and transformations. Arab scholars and intellectuals have embraced Shakespeare's works, adapting and recontextualizing them to align with their unique cultural narratives and socio-political realities. This complex engagement underscores broader themes of adaptation, critique, and cultural negotiation, contributing significantly to both regional and global Shakespearean scholarship.
Historical Reception and Cultural Adaptations
The historical reception of Shakespeare in the Arab world involved a series of adaptations rather than direct translations, reflecting the necessity to align these works with Arabic cultural sensibilities. Early adaptations often included changes such as character renaming and setting modifications to resonate with local audiences. This adaptation process, labeled Arabization, as seen with the renaming of Othello to "Ata Allah," exemplifies how Shakespeare's universal themes of love, honor, and power were maintained but recontextualized within Arabic narratives. Such adaptations served as catalysts for cultural discourse, providing platforms for social and political commentary and resonating with broader questions of identity and justice.
Translational Challenges and Linguistic Nuances
Translating Shakespeare into Arabic posed significant linguistic challenges due to the complexity of maintaining the nuanced expressions and themes of the original texts. This translation task was compounded by the absence of a direct equivalent for the Western dramatic form in classical Arabic literature, which necessitated a nuanced approach that balanced fidelity to the original works with culturally relevant modifications. As such, adaptations were not simply linguistic but involved profound engagements with local cultural frameworks to ensure resonance and relevance for Arab audiences.
Interpretation of Cultural Themes by Arab Scholars
Arab scholars have interpreted Shakespeare's works through the lens of their own cultural values, focusing on themes such as justice, honor, and power. These interpretations have often infused Shakespeare's narratives with socio-cultural commentary reflective of contemporary Arab realities, such as patriarchal dominance and intercultural conflict. Scholars utilized Shakespearean texts to address socio-political issues, thereby continuously expanding the interpretative breadth of his works. These reinterpretations highlight the dynamic nature of literary texts as they are engaged with across diverse cultural contexts.
Theatrical Adaptations and Literature
Adaptations of Shakespeare's works in Arab literature and theater reflect a continual transformation to suit regional cultural contexts and theatrical traditions. Modern adaptations and interpretations are profoundly embedded in local traditions, offering critical insights into contemporary societal challenges. They serve as profound re-contextualizations that integrate Shakespeare's original works into regional narratives, making them vehicles for commentary on gender dynamics, identity, and power structures.
Arab Intellectuals and Global Shakespearean Scholarship
Arab intellectuals have not only contributed to the localized understanding of Shakespeare but have also influenced global Shakespearean scholarship. Through critiques, adaptations, and reinterpretations, Arab thinkers have enriched the global discourse surrounding Shakespeare's works. The Arab readings of characters like Hamlet and Othello have opened new critical and existential pathways that align with current socio-political trajectories, contributing to a richer, more nuanced global Shakespearean scholarship.
Comparative Analyses and Continuous Dialogues
The comparative analysis between Shakespearean themes and Arabic literary traditions reveals a diverse tapestry of literary engagement, whereby themes are reimagined and adapted to address contemporary issues. Through this continuous dialogue, Shakespeare's works remain relevant, reflecting an enduring adaptability that dialogues with local realities while participating in global literary exchanges.
In conclusion, the Arab engagement with Shakespeare is an intricate narrative of cultural adaptation and transformation, illustrating how global literary canons can be seamlessly integrated within local cultural frameworks. This dynamic interplay fosters a deeper understanding of both Shakespeare's enduring influence and the evolving narratives within Arab literary traditions.
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