ABSTRACT
Regardless of the varied cultural and political histories of the regions, William Shakespeare’s plays reached out to the people of new locality only when they are adapted and appropriated according to the cultural and moral concerns of the new audiences who are far removed from Shakespeare’s own culture, region and time. Shakespeare’s plays continue to be circulated on an immense scale in a variety of guises – as performances, translations, editions and adaptations. This chapter focuses on the adaptations and the context in which Shakespeare’s plays are presented to the local audiences in Pakistan. Shakespeare is one of the most frequently quoted authors in Pakistan and literary articles on Shakespeare’s works are regularly published in Pakistani academic journals, magazines and social and print media. In terms of adaptations Shakespeare’s plays are becoming more and more popular among the Pakistani public as they are presented in ways that highlights contemporary social problems in an illuminating manner.
