Inter arma non silent Musae: Shakespeare as a symbol of the Czech pro-Allied attitude during the Great War

Vol.41,No.2(2015)

Ivona Mišterová

https://doi.org/10.5817/BSE2015-2-5

Stable URL (handle):
http://hdl.handle.net/11222.digilib/135027

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Abstract
This article attempts to trace the reception of selected Shakespearean performances in theatre reviews published in period newspapers in terms of critical response embedded in a broader social and political context of the Shakespeare festival held at the National Theatre in Prague in 1916. The Festival was arranged to celebrate the tercentenary of Shakespeare's death. As seen against the backdrop of the Great War, it was understood not only as a great theatrical achievement, but most importantly as a presentation of the Czech national self-awareness and identity. It furthermore attempted to strengthen the autonomy of the Czech theatres and demonstrated the Czech pro-Allied sympathies. Using period theatre reviews anchored in the historical background and framed within the theoretical context of reception aesthetics, this article aims to reveal and interpret some of the elements underpinning selected Shakespearean performances.

Keywords:
Reception Aesthetics; critical reception; Shakespearean adaptations; Great War; Czech Lands

Pages:
73–89
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