Shakespeare and Italy

Examining the relationship between Shakespeare and Italy, this collection considers how Shakespeare was inspired by Italian history, culture and literature, as well as the ways that Italy has, in turn, been inspired by Shakespeare. It explores this relationship from a variety of angles, such as Italian sources, the depiction of Italian settings and characters, and issues of language, translation and adaptation. Combining these various approaches allows this book to explore old questions in new ways. Shakespeare may have had a complicated relationship with Italy, but Italy has just as often had a complicated relationship with him. With this in mind, this book also considers issues related to Shakespeare's reception in Italian, breaking new ground in scope and in consideration of source, Italian translations of Shakespeare and important Italian productions of Shakespeare's plays. It also covers the role of Italian translation in Elizabethan England, the need to expand upon our sense of what a source constitutes, and the Italian view of Shakespeare's England and of Shakespeare's plays. In re-evaluating current critical paradigms, it not only reveals fresh insights but asks questions, including: How did the reception of Shakespeare change in Italy? How does the translation of Shakespeare into Italian speak to broader questions of translation? What does the 21st century hold for Shakespeare and Italy, or for Italy and Shakespeare? By expanding this book's considerations of setting and source while also looking at the variety of Italian adaptations of Shakespeare, its chapters demonstrate how Shakespeare was shaped by Italy, and how that proved both reciprocal and rewarding.