“Determined to prove a villain”

Abstract

Abstract Shakespeare’s play Richard III represents a fascinating phenomenon from the perspective of critical disability studies. On the one hand, his portrayal stands at the root of the much-criticised link between evil intentions and a physical deformity; on the other, the play allows Richard to reclaim some of the agency of his own corporeality, as he uses his body to gain his political goals. Translations of this play inevitably mirror contemporary views of non-normative bodies, and the two Slovak versions of the play marking the immediate aftermath of World War II and the last years of the communist rule in former Czechoslovakia provide an ideal ground for observing these shifts against the backdrop of significant sociopolitical changes. This article explores how the subtle nuances in individual translated versions reshape Richard’s image, and ultimately highlights the changing historical narratives of disability translated for different generations of Slovak readers and theatregoers.