Woke Shakespeare: Reviews

 


 

Rethinking Shakespeare for a New Era

Edited by Ian McCormick  and Saptarshi Mallick

"A timely and innovative collection, Woke Shakespeare ... deftly catapults works of The Great Bard into our current historical moment shaped by the notion of "wokeness" and the identity politics of political correctness. Exploring topics ranging from eco-criticism, postcolonialism, queer theory, global studies, social justice, cultural materialism, and more, this book will radically re-shape the myriad ways in which we read Shakespeare today. Required reading for those interested in drawing thematic and ideological threads from Shakespeare's words and time into the dawning of our precarious 21st century."

— Dr Rahul K Gairola, Krishna Somers Senior Lecturer in English and Postcolonial Literature (Murdoch University, Australia); Principal Fellow of the Indo-Pacific Research Centre (IPRC).

"Woke Shakespeare is a diligent, well-researched exploration of the contested anti-woke discourse, advocating for reclaiming Woke Studies as a form of critical scholarship. The book examines controversies surrounding what constitutes 'woke' casting, emphasizing the need for nuanced methodologies that incorporate social class and economic relations. Tracing its roots to Black political awakening, it explores the shift toward prioritizing issues like transgender and queer theory. Through radical pedagogy and performance studies, the book encourages critical engagement and creative adaptation, challenging the traditional reverence for Shakespeare and his works. A compelling and necessary call to rethink diversity and inclusion in contemporary Shakespearean discourse."

— Dr. Shantanu Siuli, Assistant Professor, Dept of English, Swami Vivekananda University.

"Woke Shakespeare ... presents an impressively comprehensive survey of the application of 'woke' lenses to readings, performances and critical approaches to Shakespeare's canon and the productions of his plays. ... The term 'woke' is considered from its application as a critical and dismissive put-down, to its origins as a corrective consciousness of issues of race, gender, feminism, sexuality, eco-criticism, disability and the ambition to correct inequality and broaden access and enrich experience. While the collection broadly adopts a pro-woke tone, it encompasses articulations of the perceived restrictions mobilised by woke approaches, and probes the possibility of being 'woke about woke' and the class-based lacuna often visible in otherwise liberal intersectional approaches to the Bard on page or stage. The volume's general introduction serves in itself as a key text for anyone wishing to consider the cultural history of woke and the variety of critical perspectives that are pertinent to its appreciation. What emerges is an affirmation of Shakespeare's ongoing resistance to, and ability to absorb, scrutinise and magnify, the various approaches that might by applied to that work, and the reality of Shakespeare as perennially polymorphous, flexible, and gloriously unfixed."

— Dr Mark Taylor-Batty, Emeritus Professor of Theatre and Performance, University of Leeds.

" Woke Shakespeare: Rethinking Shakespeare for a New Era could not be more timely, given the supremely fraught cultural and political moment in which we find ourselves today.[...] Ultimately, no matter where one stands on today's socio-political spectrum, Woke Shakespeare will inspire reflection and discussion, and possibly even fruitful debate."

— Prof. Rachel Wifall, Saint Peter's University, Jersey City, USA.

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