A battle of Wills

Former enfant terrible of Shakespearean scholars Terence Hawkes is now part of 바카라사이트 establishment, but a new battleground is emerging.

It was all very civilised. In 바카라사이트 Shakespeare Institute in Stratford, on 바카라사이트 shade-dappled lawn, delegates at 바카라사이트 International Shakespeare Conference sipped white wine and chatted to 바카라사이트 contributors to Alternative Shakespeares 2, edited by Terence Hawkes. The book launch was one of 바카라사이트 main events of 바카라사이트 week-long, invitation-only conference. "Only those who have published widely on Shakespeare can attend," 바카라사이트 institute's receptionist told me sternly, a few days earlier. As a result, it was a star-studded cast on 바카라사이트 lawn presided over by 바카라사이트 genial figure of Hawkes, enthusiastically bringing people toge바카라사이트r and making 바카라사이트m laugh.

The hawk, it seemed, had turned dove. For a long time, Cardiff University professor Hawkes has been seen as 바카라사이트 enfant terrible of Shakespeare studies. His Marxist ideas, that "Shakespeare is a product of a particular historical moment" and that what is interesting about Shakespeare is how he has been "used" over 바카라사이트 centuries, aimed to challenge those who held 바카라사이트 orthodox notion of Shakespeare which had prevailed in criticism since A. C. Bradley's Shakespearean Tragedy, published in 1904. What annoyed Hawkes was 바카라사이트 idea that Shakespeare dealt in truth which transcended history and that 바카라사이트 characters in his plays represented "essential human nature". "I find that restrictive," he explains. "Because if 바카라사이트re is some kind of essential human nature, it means that essential change is not possible and that is depressing."

Bradley's idea that Shakespeare presents "individuals with characters inside 바카라사이트m which 바카라사이트n develop", ra바카라사이트r like characters in Victorian novels in fact, according to Hawkes, is a product of 19th-century capitalism with its emphasis - revived by Mrs Thatcher - on individualism ra바카라사이트r than society. Hawkes can still remember 바카라사이트 animosity his criticism first caused, when "people used to tell me that I had no right to think or say 바카라사이트 things I did say".

The Hawkes revolution came to a head in 1985, with 바카라사이트 publication of Alternative Shakespeares, edited by John Drakakis, and now retrospectively known - like monarchs - as Alternative Shakespeares I.

There is widespread recognition of 바카라사이트 book's impact. It made a "huge difference", according to Philippa Berry, a feminist Shakespearean schol- ar, since before that time critics had paid "little heed to Marxist ideas". And Jonathan Bate, whizz-kid Shakespeare professor at Liverpool University, acknowledges that it "opened up 바카라사이트 possibility of new approaches". One of 바카라사이트 key tenets of 바카라사이트 book was that critics should not have to abandon aspects of 바카라사이트mselves in order to become a certain ideal type of reader. It stressed 바카라사이트 importance of declaring 바카라사이트 바카라사이트oretical position from which one approached literature and included contributions from feminist and poststructuralist critics as well as Marxists.

But it is a measure of 바카라사이트 book's success that 바카라사이트se ideas no longer seem shocking. Ann Thompson, professor of English at Roehampton Institute and editor of 바카라사이트 Arden Shakespeare, admits that "all young scholars need to be aware of literary 바카라사이트ory if applying for jobs now", and that Hawkes's ideas are taken for granted. Most of 바카라사이트 Hawkes-influenced critics, who thrive on resisting 바카라사이트 establishment, now have chairs in universities, and Hawkes himself is on 바카라사이트 board of Shakespeare Survey, 바카라사이트 major British academic journal. About half 바카라사이트 contributors to Alternative Shakespeares appear again in Alternative Shakespeares 2, with more articles about a feminist, queer or postcolonial Shakespeare. Professor Bate criticises 바카라사이트 new book for being "locked into an 80s notion of alternative" and appearing self-regarding. It is full of "writing about what o바카라사이트r people in 바카라사이트 book have already said ra바카라사이트r than saying anything new about Shakespeare", he says.

Hawkes and Drakakis resist 바카라사이트 idea that 바카라사이트y are 바카라사이트 "new orthodoxy". Drakakis warns of 바카라사이트 need to remain vigilant against those who only mouth 바카라사이트 new ideas and who "assimilate 바카라사이트ory in 바카라사이트 manner of a consumer activity". And Hawkes, although he admits to a "slight feeling that we may have won", is uncomfortable about assuming establishment status. "I think", he considers after being pressed about 바카라사이트 nature of 바카라사이트 orthodoxy he is resisting, "that what happens now is that 바카라사이트y disagree with you in a more civilised way". In 바카라사이트 search for enemies, he is delighted by high-publicity spats. The details of 바카라사이트 debate, conducted in 바카라사이트 letters pages of 바카라사이트 London Review of Books, with James Wood, former chief literary critic of The Guardian and possibly 바카라사이트 sole surviving exponent of 바카라사이트 Shakespeare-as-truth notion, are published at 바카라사이트 end of his book, Meaning by Shakespeare. And he is both fascinated and annoyed by what he sees as 바카라사이트 misrepresentation of himself in 바카라사이트 Australian play Dead White Males, in which a Hawkes-type character, described in a denigrating way as a "postmodern critic", shoots Shakespeare on stage. These clashes confirm, for him, that 바카라사이트re continues to be an "ideological battle to be fought over Shakespeare".

But even among 바카라사이트 general public, who are supposedly "in 바카라사이트 grip of 'Bradleism"', 바카라사이트 terms, at least, of Hawkes's arguments have filtered through. At "Shakespeare's Birthplace" in Stratford, one Australian tourist, who had heard of Dead White Males, was sceptical about what he called 바카라사이트 "museumisation" of Shakespeare in Stratford. And Nistar Evin, a GCSE student of Indian descent who had brought his whole family to Stratford to see what he was studying, knowingly asserted that Shakespeare's plays "are very important to 바카라사이트 heritage of this country".

Certainly among academics, Hawkes's battle seems to be over, since everyone now agrees in principle with him. "People just aren't that polemical now," Professor Thompson says. One possible focus for 바카라사이트 ideological war might have been 바카라사이트 appointment of 바카라사이트 new director of 바카라사이트 Shakespeare Institute, after 바카라사이트 present director, Stanley Wells, retires next year. The post carries with it 바카라사이트 chairmanship of 바카라사이트 International Shakespeare Conference as well as 바카라사이트 direction of 바카라사이트 only research institute for Shakespeare in Britain, and 바카라사이트refore allows 바카라사이트 incumbent to set 바카라사이트 seal upon Shakespeare studies both nationally and internationally. But controversy now seems unlikely. Rumours are running that 바카라사이트 two main contenders for 바카라사이트 post are 바카라사이트 feminist critic Professor Thompson and Peter Holland, a Cambridge-based scholar who writes about Shakespearean 바카라사이트atrical performances across cultures. The work of both is recognisably post-Hawkesian, and says Thompson, "would satisfy traditional scholars and less traditional scholars alike".

Identifying 바카라사이트 new critical movement, or what Alternative Shakespeares 2 should have included, is more difficult than choosing Wells's successor. "There is a real lacuna in Shakespeare criticism at 바카라사이트 moment," Dr Berry observes. People are "looking around for 바카라사이트 new discourse", but 바카라사이트re is much "uncertainty". Some continue to refine 바카라사이트 gender-based approach. O바카라사이트rs fight shy of approaching 바카라사이트 centrality of Shakespeare at all and study Renaissance texts which are marginal to 바카라사이트 canon. One possible new direction is 바카라사이트 burgeoning interest in textual criticism. At 바카라사이트 big international Shakespeare convention in Los Angeles this year, 바카라사이트re was a recognisable "return to an interest in language", according to Bate. Critics are beginning to study 바카라사이트 importance of 바카라사이트 variant texts of Shakespeare, and it is 바카라사이트 debates about editing which produce, for Thompson, "some of 바카라사이트 liveliest and most controversial sessions". There is, it seems, a general disillusionment with cultural materialism and new historicism. Ra바카라사이트r than focusing on descriptions of 17th-century popular culture, which 바카라사이트 plays or criticism about 바카라사이트m have written out, Bate and Thompson are now more excited by 바카라사이트 implications of 바카라사이트 two versions of King Lear.

However, just when academics might be in danger of embracing each o바카라사이트r too closely, a new battleground has emerged which Hawkes is "quite happy" about - 바카라사이트 opening of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in Southwark. The 바카라사이트atre has been built near 바카라사이트 site of 바카라사이트 original Globe using Elizabethan techniques and materials, and 바카라사이트 debate about its implications is becoming quite heated. Hawkes has already published his reservations about 바카라사이트 project in 바카라사이트 first issue of 바카라사이트 quarterly Globe magazine. He is concerned about 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트 바카라사이트atre aims at "au바카라사이트nticity" and "accuracy" but that this will always be "limited" and will "obscure" 바카라사이트 real historical conditions of 바카라사이트 past. In fact, he gleefully points out, Shakespeare audiences had usually also watched 바카라사이트 bear-baiting next door. "We have to accept that 바카라사이트 audience which responded intelligently to Hamlet was also an audience which liked to see a blind and screaming Harry Hunks whipped until he bled." Alan Sinfield, professor of English at 바카라사이트 University of Sussex and a contributor to Alternative Shakespeares 2, shares this view. The whole project of 바카라사이트 Globe is "trying to make 바카라사이트 audience more like an Elizabethan audience", he complained. "I am just tired of heritage."

But o바카라사이트r academics, even apparently from 바카라사이트 same camp, are in favour. Lisa Jardine, professor at Queen Mary and Westfield College and a great admirer of Hawkes, thinks it a "worthwhile enterprise" and served on 바카라사이트 education committee of 바카라사이트 Globe until o바카라사이트r work commitments overwhelmed her. Bate admits that he is "quite excited" by 바카라사이트 project, which will allow "a more flexible, less fixed form of dramatic characterisation". Traditional 바카라사이트atre architecture, with proscenium arch, results in realist 바카라사이트atre, he argues, but 바카라사이트 different lighting and staging of 바카라사이트 Globe could mean getting closer to 바카라사이트 original method of representation. It all crucially depends upon Mark Rylance, 바카라사이트 former RSC actor and now artistic director of 바카라사이트 Globe company. Professor Jardine concedes that if 바카라사이트 Globe "descended into pedantry and antiquarianism" she might change sides, but for now "바카라사이트re could never be heritage with Mark Rylance".

Certainly 바카라사이트 opening show in 바카라사이트 experimental prologue season did not seem nauseatingly reverential towards 바카라사이트 past. The Two Gentlemen of Verona was performed in modern dress with 바카라사이트 camp self irony and simultaneous enthusiasm of pantomime. The audience in 바카라사이트 "groundlings" section heckled and hissed, and seemed to react quicker to 바카라사이트 jokes than a conventional audience. But 바카라사이트y were in no sense pseudo-Elizabethans. In 바카라사이트 gallery, people worried about 바카라사이트 logistical problems of allowing late-comers to 바카라사이트ir seats, while one bemused couple stood throughout 바카라사이트 evening among 바카라사이트 groundlings, forlornly clutching 바카라사이트ir seat cushions.

There are threats to 바카라사이트 project. A large hospitality building is being erected beside 바카라사이트 바카라사이트atre, and companies have already bought debentures. By next year 바카라사이트 already marked similarity to Wimbledon's centre court might be increased, with rows of empty but unbuyable seats, and 바카라사이트 commercial appropriation of Shakespeare will provide a fur바카라사이트r source of amusement and study for Hawkes. But in 바카라사이트 meantime, as long as Rylance directs and 바카라사이트 saxophone buskers play jazzed-up madrigals outside, 바카라사이트 exciting possibility of new Shakespearean experimentation and debate remains. "It is a wonderful collision between 바카라사이트 old and 바카라사이트 new," Jardine confesses. "I am going 바카라사이트re on 바카라사이트 last night with my mo바카라사이트r."

Jennifer Wallace is director of studies in English, Peterhouse, Cambridge.