Facing Europe in Crisis

Shakespeare's World and Present Challenges

Chapman, Richard (ed.) (...)

Theatre hosts crisis. Shakespeare’s theatre certainly does. Facing Europe in Crisis: Shakespeare’s World and Present Challenges originates from a European Strategic Partnership dedicated to exploring crises, whether they be cultural, linguistic, political, social, religious, or economic. Arguing that “crisis” registers instability, provokes judgement towards its end, and signals a new beginning, the book highlights how early modern crises can help decipher contemporary ones and how these, in turn, deepen our understandings of the past.
Facing Europe in Crisis was conceived before the pandemic and the war in Ukraine, two crises that have had an impact on performances of Shakespeare since 2020. The authors share the belief that, though crises may persist, their complexities should be faced. Inherent in humanity, crises presuppose that the solutions to one also incubate the next. Showing that crisis is inscribed in seriality, Shakespeare’s plays encourage audiences to face crises of all times.