Shakespearean theatrical works in relation to contemporary social practices of honour-based violence

Abstract

In his comedies as well as tragedies, Shakespeare confronts the themes of honour and shame, male social standing, female chastity and subordination of women, questioning the prevailing patriarchal attitudes of his time, which victimise both men and women. This article is intended to make a comparative analysis of honour-related crime as Shakespeare alludes to again and again in his dramatic works and as they appear today in honour-centred societies, the Middle Eastern cultures in particular, where honour killings still hold a notable weight. Bringing together Shakespearean examples and its contemporary extensions as practices by traditional cultures, the study reveals that honour-related violence, whether in Shakespeare's time or societies today, East and West, has been an on-going issue, and neither the Renaissance as an age of great discoveries nor technological advances of the twenty first century managed to wipe out this practice. The analysis demonstrates that honour-related violence which occupies a significant space in Shakespeare's texts also serves the richness and diversity of his dramatic oeuvre, and therefore this particular subject is worth investigating further from broader historical contexts and contemporary perspectives.