Title of Presentation or Performance

From Page to Home Page: Turning Shakespearean Plays into Memes

Presenter and Advisor Information

Amanda Pippin, Illinois Wesleyan University

Submission Type

Event

Faculty Advisor

Joanne Diaz

Expected Graduation Date

2020

Location

Room E102, Center for Natural Sciences, Illinois Wesleyan University

Start Date

4-4-2020 10:30 AM

End Date

4-4-2020 10:45 AM

Disciplines

English Language and Literature

Abstract

Shakespeare’s plays have saturated Western culture. His plays and poems were so masterfully crafted that they have moved from the world of entertainment to the world of academic study. But Shakespeare was never an isolated genius; his plays had many sources from ancient and recent history, from myth, and from poets and storytellers who came before him. My goal in this project was to do for Shakespeare what he did for his sources: reshape them, reinvigorate them, and make them accessible for my audience. How do you make Shakespeare accessible in the 21st century? Simple. You make a ton of memes. I have created memes for the Henriad tetralogy: Richard II, Henry IV Part 1, Henry IV Part 2, and Henry V. These memes include direct quotations from the texts and/or summarization of themes, plot points, and characters—depending on the structure of the meme being created. The formats of the memes vary: some are from the early 2010s, some have gained traction much more recently. I have compiled all of the memes I’ve created on a Tumblr blog, www.shakespearesmemes.tumblr.com, using the hashtag #my post. This project will shed a new light on what we think we know about Shakespeare by bringing him up to date with our current sociocultural climate.

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Apr 4th, 10:30 AM Apr 4th, 10:45 AM

From Page to Home Page: Turning Shakespearean Plays into Memes

Room E102, Center for Natural Sciences, Illinois Wesleyan University

Shakespeare’s plays have saturated Western culture. His plays and poems were so masterfully crafted that they have moved from the world of entertainment to the world of academic study. But Shakespeare was never an isolated genius; his plays had many sources from ancient and recent history, from myth, and from poets and storytellers who came before him. My goal in this project was to do for Shakespeare what he did for his sources: reshape them, reinvigorate them, and make them accessible for my audience. How do you make Shakespeare accessible in the 21st century? Simple. You make a ton of memes. I have created memes for the Henriad tetralogy: Richard II, Henry IV Part 1, Henry IV Part 2, and Henry V. These memes include direct quotations from the texts and/or summarization of themes, plot points, and characters—depending on the structure of the meme being created. The formats of the memes vary: some are from the early 2010s, some have gained traction much more recently. I have compiled all of the memes I’ve created on a Tumblr blog, www.shakespearesmemes.tumblr.com, using the hashtag #my post. This project will shed a new light on what we think we know about Shakespeare by bringing him up to date with our current sociocultural climate.