Chapter 2. Sparking Debate: Shakespeare in the University Classroom

Abstract

This chapter examines the ways in which Shakespeare is constructed as an object of study throughout the Peninsula—how his works are taught in university level classes, presented in seminars and public events, and celebrated at conferences and symposia, and what types of classroom and public discussions can spring up around them in the face of the Gulf’s constraints on academic freedom and free speech. The chapter opens with a brief consideration of Shakespeare-related resources available in the Peninsula, and of the numerous challenges of translation. It then explores the experiences of professors teaching Shakespeare in Kuwait, Oman and Abu Dhabi. Throughout the chapter, the author situates this academic engagement with Shakespeare within the broader context of the history of tertiary education and educational institutions in the Gulf.