How Shakespeare Became Colonial

Editorial Tradition and the British Empire

In this fascinating book, Leah S. Marcus argues that the colonial context in which Shakespeare was edited and disseminated during the heyday of the British Empire has left a mark on Shakespeare’s texts to the present day. How Shakespeare Became Colonial offers a unique and engaging argument, including:

• A brief history of the colonial importance of editing Shakespeare;
• The colonially inflected racism that hides behind the editing of Othello;
• The editing of female characters – colonization as sexual conquest;
• The significance of editions that were specifically created for schools in India during British colonial rule.

Marcus traces important ways in which the colonial enterprise of setting forth the best possible Shakespeare for world consumption has continued to be visible in the recent treatment of his playtexts today, despite our belief that we are global or postcolonial in approach.