Combatting the Literary Canon through Performance

Abstract

Combatting the Literary Canon through Performance Ophelia’s Last Word(s) reexamines the literary canon by combatting the trope of “fair and fragile” women.​ Written for Dr. Varadharajan’s English 421 course on adapting Shakespeare, this presentation/performance explores the role of women in Hamlet to offer a new voice to the archetypal shadow maiden, Ophelia. Among many concerns, the rap questions why audiences contemplate Hamlet’s madness but presume Ophelia’s to be authentic. We reinforce harmful gender representations when viewing Shakespeare’s women with a traditional and canonical lens. Examining women as codependent on male figures, emotional, and inept is a lens that perpetuates this standard for modern audiences. Adaptation provides an opportunity to reenvision these women and their fate. Using evidence and information omitted from the text, I offer an alternative ending for Ophelia where she could preserve and fight the problematic representation of fairness and fragility. Adaptation is a valuable way to approach inquiry-based learning because it provides the opportunity to reenvision and reinvent canonical norms that sabotage contemporary efforts at inclusion and equality. The canon is widely accepted and taught in the English discipline but primarily speaks to and from white males. It is intimidating to challenge but also crucial. Therefore, inquiry-based learning like this performance is a spirited attempt to challenge and change the way we learn about Shakespeare. We cannot examine women, representation, and inclusion issues until we reexamine the way women appear in canonical English works. Adaptation is key.