Work

Visualising Shakespeare: The impact of puppetry on dramaturgy and interpretation

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Contemporary puppetry reveals complex layers of meaning in Shakespeare's plays by exploring the interactions between dramaturgy, puppets and objects, and mental images. This study examines this complexity, focusing on (1) how object theatre repurposes objects to represent characters, exploiting the meta-theatrical dimension of Shakespeare's work; (2) how object theatre reconstructs dramatic action from a character's point of view, enriching their subjectivity; (3) how puppeteers resurrect the past with ghostly presences; and (4) how tensions between artificial and live actors create hybrid works where text, stage design, and music are equally important. Both metamorphic and oxymoronic, puppetry mirrors Shakespearean writing.

Source: Cahiers Élisabéthains A Journal of English Renaissance Studies

DOI: 10.1177/01847678251339031

Author: Carole Guidicelli

Institutions: Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier, Université de Montpellier Paul-Valéry

Language: English

Topic: Shakespeare, Adaptation, and Literary Criticism

Subfield: Literature and Literary Theory

Field: Arts and Humanities

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,400

Funder: H2020 European Research Council