Introduction

Shakespeare and Disability

In this course, Professor Katherine Schapp Williams (University of Toronto) explores the representation of disability in Shakespeare, focusing in particular on Richard III. After a short introductory lecture, we begin by thinking about what we mean by the term ‘disability’, focusing in particular on a social rather than medical understanding of disability. In the lecture after that, we look more closely at disability in early modern England in general and on the early modern stage in particular – and in particular in Shakespeare’s Richard III. After that, in the fourth lecture, we look at a contemporary retelling of Richard III – Matthew Lew’s Teenage Dick (2008) – which stipulates that the parts of Richard and Buck should be played by disabled actors. Finally, in the fifth lecture, we think in more detail about casting disabled characters, focusing in particular on the long history of non-disabled actors playing Richard in Richard III, Arthur Hughes’ portrayal of Richard in the 2022 RSC production of Richard III, and what the future should hold for disabled actors.

Introduction

In this short lecture we introduce some of the topics that will be covered in the rest of the course.