This project aims to create a digital map presenting various modes of Asian adaptation of Shakespeare, particularly in the Far East. Since the first Asian-language performances of Shakespeare took place in the nineteenth century within the context of modernization, Shakespeare has become one of East Asia’s most frequently performed playwrights, and Shakespearean adaptation has flourished in Asia. Many stage and movie directors have employed Shakespeare’s plays and motifs to create their own artwork, mostly with traditional Asian colors. However, in spite of these cultural phenomena, as many Shakespeare scholars’ have pointed out, Shakespearean adaptation in Asia has been less focused and paid attention to in academia. As a result, Asia still remains marginalized in the field of Shakespeare (performance) studies. Therefore, this project pursues (re)direction and expansion of perspective on Asian adaptation of Shakespeare in the globalizing world by bringing more attention to marginalized Asia in the dominating literature.
This project allows considering what is “globalization.” As Amartya Sen points out that “globalization is often seen as global Westernization,”1 Asia’s reception of Shakespeare’s plays was part of these “Westernization” movements. In terms of “global Westernization,” what significance does Asia’s adaptation of Shakespeare’s plays embrace, colored with their own traditional cultures? Is this cultural hybridity between East and West, eventually, the movement toward “Westernization”? How can Shakespearean adaptations is Asia and his “Asian” styled recreated works reimported and performed in the Western world be seen and understood?
The last aim of this project is to (re)consider the role of digital humanities and DH scholars living in the twentieth century. When digital humanities was first introduced, it was thought to be one of the new threads of scholarship. However, as Matthew K. Gold and Lauren F. Klein voiced the necessity of DH’s active engagement in our social and political problems in Digital Humanities 2019, this Shakespearean Adaptation Mapping project is expected to be a thread of cultural movements that provide an opportunity to bring marginalized Asian cultures and cultural products to the center in the globalizing world and to (re)consider the equation between East and West, and their future relationship.
Why Mapping Project
Geohumanities allow an opportunity to read Shakespeare’s works (re)produced in other regions with different perspectives. Maps and map creation have been powerful cultural and political tools for establishing and maintaining social orders and supporting the hegemonies of powerful countries. However, the introduction and application of digital cartography, like GIS, facilitates “counter-mapping,” a way to resist and decentralize authority, and equal use of maps. Maps are highly visualized so that digital literary mapping projects can be an easily accessible and effective pedagogical tool in class. Furthermore, digital mapping projects, along with critically analytic perspectives on maps, reveal matters that have not been significantly dealt with or provide new perspectives on certain issues. Thus, the Asian adaptation of Shakespeare mapping project is expected to shift the dominant Anglo-centered views on the globalization of Shakespeare and its adaptation in the third world (Asia) from cultural imperialism to cultural universalism.
Digital Mapping Tool: Google Maps and Jekyll
Google Maps provides an easy way to start creating digital maps. Google search engine allows users or mapmakers to search unfamiliar places and add them to the map. Google Maps offers “(vector) layers” so mapmakers can create multiple layers, mark the places, and add details about the locations. Also, Google Maps shows the world map, so it is possible to mark numerous locations and their relations. Thus, it is expected to be a useful tool to indicate not only Shakespearean adaptation in certain regions but also its (re-)importation in non-Asian countries as a whole new creative cultural and literary production.
One of the goals of this project is to create a static website for the project with a minimal computing strategy. In his discussion of minimal computing, Alex Gil presents ED, a system for producing online digital editions, and another sense of Jekyll theme.2 As a static website generator, Jekyll has a vision of an easier and more accessible tool for digital humanities scholars and a way to solve Global inequality in the field of digital humanities. Thus, building a static website with the concept of minimal computing increases the accessibility of the mapping project of Shakespearean adaptation in Asia to both Global North and South and English and non-English users.
Shakespeare in Asia: Inside and Outside
This project provides several maps that exhibit Asian adaptations of Shakespeare and their stages in both Eastern and non-Eastern countries. These maps are expected to answer the following questions. Who and where do “Asianized” Shakespearean adaptations fervently accept? How can mapping project be significant in understanding globalized and localized Shakespeare’s works? What is the definition of “adaptation” and its significance in certain social, political, and cultural contexts?
Also, this project offers a dataset of Shakespearean adaptations, staged and filmed from the late nineteenth century to today. This dataset provides an opportunity to look at how frequently and prolifically Shakespearean adaptations have been produced with playwrights’ and directors’ creativeness within different contexts of Asia, as well as the universally-appealing-themes that Shakespeare’s works embrace. Based on this dataset, a variety of maps can be created by Google Maps or any other GIS tools such as ArcGIS software.