Graphic Shakespeare: Understanding the Contact Zone of Shakespeare Adaptation in Graphic Narrative

Abstract

This thesis investigates key features of Shakespearean graphic narratives from works produced by Classical Comics as well as Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman comic series. These graphic narratives have enjoyed both commercial and critical success, yet there are too few scholarly investigations on how these adaptations function. This thesis will establish the contact zone of Shakespearean graphic narratives by investigating comic rhetoric, adaptation theory, and narratological reappropriation, which will illuminate the complexity of these works and how they can be better understood. The first section outlines the contact zone of Shakespearean graphic narrative by positioning the source texts with comic rhetoric. The second section outlines one prominent theory of adaptation to better understand what occurs when texts are adapted across genres and mediums. The third section outlines narratological reappropriation, relying on close readings of graphic narratives.