Remembrance of Things Past: Shakespeare 1851, 1951, 2012
Author
Holderness, Graham
Attention
2299/18027
Abstract
This chapter examines the re-contextualisation of Shakespeare in three major festival celebrations of British culture: the Great Exhibition of 1851, the Festival of Britain 1951, and the London Olympics of 2012. In all three we find Shakespeare repositioned in relation to the disciplines of engineering, design and technology. Three case studies explore how Shakespeare is simultaneously celebrated as a cornerstone of British culture, and brought into intimate relation with the scientific and technological priories of the festivals. These re-contextualizations also bring Shakespeare into connection with some key themes of contemporary Shakespeare studies, including internationalism and popular participation.