A study has argued that portraying the bard as a “universal” genius reinforces ‘white Anglo-centric, Eurocentric’ worldviews
The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust (SBT) plans to “decolonize” its extensive museum collections, after research claimed that William Shakespeare’s legacy has been used to advance ‘white supremacy’, according to The Telegraph.
The SBT, which manages properties linked to Shakespeare in Stratford-upon-Avon and holds key archival materials, is exploring the “continued impact of Empire” on its collections and how “Shakespeare’s work has played a part in this,” the paper wrote on Sunday.
The initiative reportedly follows a 2022 study conducted in collaboration with Dr. Helen Hopkins from Birmingham City University, which criticized the trust’s attractions for presenting Shakespeare as a “universal” genius, an idea that supposedly “benefits the ideology of white European supremacy.”
The study argued that portraying the English playwright’s work as the standard for high art reinforces “white Anglo-centric, Eurocentric, and increasingly ‘West-centric’ worldviews that continue to do harm in the world today.”
As part of its “decolonization” efforts, the SBT has organized events celebrating Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore and a ‘Romeo and Juliet’-inspired Bollywood dance workshop, The Telegraph said.
The SBT’s latest initiative has sparked criticism online. Conservative academic and writer Adrian Hilton described it on X as “quite mad.” Shakespeare, he wrote, “is the greatest in history: an unparalleled mind, undisputed genius, and the most magnificent jewel in the crown of British culture.” He added: “Why would @ShakespeareBT seek to trash their brand with this nonsense?”
Political commentator Darren Grimes remarked that “the man who shaped the English language is now a problem because his greatness is too… British.”
User Bernie believes that “everything we know and love is being destroyed on the altar of liberalism.”
Another user, iamyesyouareno, interpreted the Trust’s decision as an attack on cultural values, saying: “They despise everything you find important and seek to humiliate you.” Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk reposted the message with two exclamation marks.
Shakespeare (1564-1616) is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world’s pre-eminent dramatist. His works, including ‘Hamlet’, ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’, and ‘Henry V’, have been translated into every major living language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright.
