A Contemporary Adaptation of Shakespeare’s Plays in Al Bassam’s The Arab Shakespeare Trilogy

Abstract

This study examines Sulayman Al Bassam’s adaptations of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Richard III, and Twelfth Night, analyzing how his reworkings critique political leadership in the contemporary Arab world and deconstruct the Western discourse on Islamic terrorism. Al Bassam utilizes the disruptive elements in Shakespeare’s original works to engage with issues of religious extremism, Western opportunism, and authoritarianism in Arab/Muslim societies. His adaptations strategically challenge Orientalist stereotypes while exposing the hypocrisy of both Western powers and Arab political elites who manipulate Islam for personal and political gain. The study employs adaptation theory, particularly the perspectives of Linda Hutcheon and other scholars, alongside postcolonial analysis, drawing on Edward Said’s Orientalism. Unlike previous research, which has primarily focused on Western productions of Shakespearean adaptations, this study examines Al Bassam’s work as a distinct case of cross-cultural adaptation. Findings reveal that Al Bassam both affirms and critiques Western portrayals of Islam, demonstrating that radicalism and political corruption stem not from religious doctrine but from individual and systemic exploitation of faith. By adapting Shakespeare within an Islamic context, Al Bassam provides a counter-narrative to dominant Western perceptions of Islam and terrorism. This study concludes that Al Bassam’s trilogy serves as a powerful denunciation of politically driven religious authoritarianism, urging a reconsideration of how Islamic identity and governance are represented in both the West and the Arab world.