ABSTRACT
William Shakespeare had a significant influence on the works of Harold Pinter, both as a playwright and cultural figure. Pinter’s engagement with Shakespeare’s text shaped his artistic outlook. This is demonstrated through Pinter’s early understanding of Shakespeare that he clearly established in his pre-theatrical writing and can be seen to recur in his later work. The role that Shakespeare played in Pinter’s self-fashioning as seen in the autobiographical memoir may appear small, but it demonstrates that Pinter incorporated Shakespeare into his personal life, and an engagement with the work that goes beyond a professional requirement. This continued in Pinter’s novel, The Dwarfs, and how ideas already raised were developed during Pinter’s time as an actor. By including Pinter’s early writing, prior to his first play, one can see the intellectual engagement Pinter had with Shakespeare and his consistency in his view that, in turn, informed Pinter’s own approach to playwriting.
