Mini: "Decolonize the Mind" through Shakespeare
Each year, in recognition of the National Day of Mourning/Thanksgiving holiday in the United States, we examine how British colonialism is irrevocably intertwined with Shakespeare. This year, we are taking a look at how Shakespeare's works have been used to critique the legacy of colonialism.
We will look at how adaptations of Shakespeare's work from Martinique, Barbados, Cuba, and Kenya have utilized Shakespeare's stories and characters to represent and unpack the effects of colonialism. We also discuss a 2011 Palestinian production of A Midsummer Night's Dream that intentionally worked to create post-colonial version of Dream.
Because of current events at the time we are releasing this podcast, we also encourage our listeners to learn more about colonialism as it relates to Palestine and have included additional resources below.
Transcript to come.
Shakespeare Anyone? is created and produced by Kourtney Smith and Elyse Sharp.
Music is "Neverending Minute" by Sounds Like Sander.
Follow us on Instagram at @shakespeareanyonepod for updates or visit our website at shakespeareanyone.com
You can support the podcast at patreon.com/shakespeareanyone
Works referenced:
Al-Saber, Samer. “Beyond Colonial Tropes: Two Productions of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ in Palestine.” Critical Survey, vol. 28, no. 3, 2016, pp. 27–46. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/26384116. Accessed 21 Nov. 2023.
Singh, Jyotsna G. Shakespeare and Postcolonial Theory, The Arden Shakespeare, Bloomsbury Publishing, London, 2020.
Additional resources on Palestine:
Non-fiction Books:
The Question of Palestine by Edward Said
The Hundreds’ Year War On Palestine: A History of Settler Colonialism and Resistance, 1917–2017 by Rashid Khalidi
The General’s Son: the Journey of an Israeli in Palestine by Miko Peled
Palestine, Israel and the U.S. Empire by Richard Becker
The Revolution of 1936-1939 in Palestine: Background, Details, Analysis by Ghassan Kanafani
Documentaries:
The Empire Files Presents: Gaza Fights for Freedom
The Empire Files Presents: The Untold History of Palestine & Israel
Al-Jazeera’s Ten Films to Watch About the History of the Israel-Palestine Conflict
Journalists:
Motaz Azaiza @motaz_azaiza
Plestia Alaqad @byplestia
Rania Khalek @raniakhalek
Wizard Bisan @wizard_bisan1
Photographers:
Hamdan Dahdouh @hamdaneldahdouh
Hamza Wael @hamza_w_dahdooh
Mohamed Al Masri @mohamed.h.masri
Ali Jadallah @alijadallah66
Video Creator:
Ahmed Hijazi @ahmedhijazee
Documenting Palestine @documentingpalestine
Podcasts:
The Palestinian Pod
Citations Needed Podcast Episode 28: The Asymptotic ‘Two State Solution’ (Part 1) and Episode 29: The Asymptotic ‘Two State Solution’ (Part 2)
Writer:
Jenan Matari @jenanmatari
Organizations:
Breaking the Silence: Israel @breakingthesilenceisrael
Aid:
Anera: helps refugees and vulnerable communities in Palestine, Lebanon, and Jordan @aneraorg
