Nothing like the Sun: Shakespeare in Spain Today

Abstract

Today is more present in Spain than ever as a result of critical interest and spectacular growth of his popularity among Spaniards who recognise him as embodiment of cultural and literary values. Since celebration of Seventh World Congress in Valencia in April 2001, Shakespearean scholarship in Spain has provided new ways of understanding playwright. It has opened up debates on issues which have made possible new scholarly studies, translations and performances that have proved more active and vigorous than ever, and whose effects can be seen in different facets of Spanish culture and life.Which Shakespeare/ Which Spain?Who is today? Or, in Balz Engler's words, Does term refer to a person, to a set of printed texts, to a cultural icon, to a theatrical tradition, or to a combination of all these? (Engler 27) What does mean now? One can only say that means different things to different people: is constantly reshaped and refashioned in different places and situations; it is not but rather Shakespeare that really matters in Shakespace (Hedrick and Reynolds 3) where it is written and rewritten in an unending process of cultural reproduction. As no longer merely continues to signify Englishness (Joughin 1), it is possible to read within a distinct context without his language (Kennedy) for the meanings of Shakespeare's works (and of author) can constantly respond to needs, fantasies, preoccupations, and conflicts of moment (Lanier 230).Shakespeare's appropriation and adaptability become more problematic in new political mapping of Spain whose identity as a multilingual nation has become a burning issue today (Bejar). The debate about Spanish nation, its identity and language in new democracy, as both a historical and a contemporary political problem, is particularly complex due to legacy of Franco dictatorship which deeply eroded legitimacy of Spanish nationalism. During and since transition, Spanish nationalist discourse has evolved to meet challenge of new concepts of nation, identity and culture, and proposes different configurations of relationship between nation, state and language, as minority languages have co-official status with Spanish. While Constitution of 1978 defines Spain as a nation of nationalities, many politicians and intellectuals now claim that Spain is a nation of nations, while others that it is a post-national state (See Balfour). But what is really at issue is not whether Spain exists or not as a nation; rather, it is traditional ways of seeing Spain from both centre and margins, ways in which Spanish and other nationalities are projected and how they influence idea of Spain as a nation. It shows comparative rivalry between Spanish national identity and historic nationalities or regions like Catalonia, Basque Country and Galicia deriving from peculiar architecture of state in Spain, and their effect on social and political cohesion. We are witnessing a transformation of Spain from Spain of tambourine and Don Juan to multiple Spains, to a fragmented, multi-cultural society which nonetheless still (on whole) conceptualises itself as sum total of its long and rich cultural and political history (Gies 4). This radical change produces tension and conflict as a result of confrontation of two Spains, of traditional and conservative in contrast with modem and postmodern.Zara, Almodovar, and ShakespeareShakespeare's plays -like Zara's fashion house and Almodovar's movies- have been locally and universally accepted. They combine commercial and popular success. They represent values and aspirations that influence society and its institutions in various ways. They are cultural icons that remain in wide cultural circulation once the old division between high and low culture has been erased (Smith 2). …