English Literary Association (ELA) of Rajdhani College,University of Delhi in collaboration with Fortell celebrated 450th birth anniversary of iterature stalwart William Shakespeare on September 23, 2014. The Principal Dr. Vijay Laxmi Pandit delivered the welcome address and highlighted the importance and relevance of Shakespeare in the contemporary world.understanding possible.
The chief guest, Prof. Shormistha Panja, Joint Director,Institute of Lifelong Learning, University of Delhi presented the paper titled ‘Visual Shakespeare’. Her paper examined how the paintings and illustrations of Shakespeare’s plays and retellings depicted the culture in which they were created. Taking examples from Bengali prose retellings of Shakespeare, she argued how illustrations of the plays depicted the emerging, rebellious Bengal. She also argued that the illustrations of these retellings often have an independent narrative of their own, at times at variance from the verbal text of the plays. The paper raised new questions on visual reception of Shakespeare among Bengali readers and was very well received.
On the occasion, the students presented an act titled ‘Universal Shakespeare’.The act was an experiment with modern theatre – a combination of ‘Shadow work’and ‘Mime’. The ‘Shadow Work’ formed the background pop-out which consisted of prominent scenes from Shakespeare’s plays and the ‘Mime’ act depicted major human emotions. The combined act formed a collage which presented Shakespeare in an entirely new, avant-garde form.
Gorvika
Gorvika is Assistant Professor in Rajdhani College, University of Delhi. Her areas of interest include drama studies, literary theory and gender studies.
gorvika@gmail.com
