ABSTRACT In this essay, we discuss two productions of Romeo and Juliet that took place in close chronological and geographical proximity, at the Finnish National Theatre in 1946, and at the new city theatre of Norrköping-Linköping in Sweden in 1947. This juxtaposition allows us to examine how Shakespeare was used in the processes of reparation just after World War II. Although the two neighbouring countries had been affected in quite different ways by the war, we suggest that both productions of this play about young lovers signal new beginnings and a spirit of optimism and rebuilding in two emerging welfare states. By analysing reviews and other news reports on these much-publicized productions, we examine the underresearched area of immediate post-war Shakespeare, and how a play like Romeo and Juliet could be used not only to process the recent past but to point towards the future, towards renewal and consolidation.

ABSTRACT This paper argues that a reference to Ganymede as ‘a shining constellation’ in The Two Noble Kinsmen, hitherto glossed by editors as Aquarius, in fact links him to another constellation, Aquila (the Eagle). We identify Johann Bayer’s 1603 star atlas Uranometria as the probable source of this identification, because it is the first work of any kind to picture Ganymede in the talons of the eagle. Earlier astronomical accounts name the stars close to Aquila after Antinous, servant and lover of the emperor Hadrian – and making this connection between Ganymede and Antinous highlights a chain of literary allusion and association, emphasising The Two Noble Kinsmen’s homoerotic and homosocial themes. The further grouping of references to Ganymede, Pelops and Narcissus (all three symbols of homoerotic desire: Jove for Ganymede, Poseidon for Pelops and Narcissus for himself) reveals a direct structural influence from an equally homoerotic passage in Marlowe’s Hero and Leander. The eye for astronomical novelty, the emulative employment of classical reference and generous infusion of erotic ambiguity mark The Two Noble Kinsmen as an intriguing continuation of Shakespeare’s longtime preoccupation with the matter of Theseus, showing him returning to the oldest, most uncertain, frequently self-contradictory elements of Greek myth.

ABSTRACT Appearing in the wake of a decade of rapid growth in Indian screen Shakespeare as an academic subspeciality, ‘Adapting Shakespearean Romance in Indian Cinema’ reveals how cross-cultural comparison and attention to popular reception can profitably modify inherited critical assumptions for all Shakespeare’s readership. Taking ‘romance’ as a key term, this afterword considers the possibilities and potential problems of recasting its dominant meaning as thematic, focusing on modern love, rather than as a dramatic subgenre. In a time of increasing political censorship and existential threats to gender studies, greater engagement and exchange between those in other areas of Shakespeare studies with this rich cinematic corpus and its aligned subfield of cross-disciplinary criticism provides reasons for hope and renewed community.

ABSTRACT In A Midsummer Night's Dream Shakespeare's Duke Theseus explains his refusal of the offer of an entertainment for his forthcoming wedding which is described as ‘The battle with the centaurs, to be sung / By an Athenian eunuch to the harp’ in two lines stating ‘We'll none of that. That have I told my love / In glory of my kinsman Hercules’. This remark, however, leaves his rejection enigmatic. An exploration of certain contexts found both in the play and beyond that involve Theseus, Hercules and battles with centaurs will indicate that Theseus's dismissal of this proposed interval is motivated by egotism and competitiveness, and is not based on modesty and generosity as has sometimes been alleged.

ABSTRACT This paper explores the intersection of Virtual Reality (VR) and Shakespeare adaptation in Asia through the case study of an animated VR game based on Shakespeare's Pericles, Prince of Tyre currently being developed at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. It begins by reviewing the current state of Shakespeare VR and drawing attention to the lack of projects making use of this technology in Asia, a notable absence considering the region’s position as a locus of artistic and intellectual energy in Shakespeare performance, deep and diverse gaming culture, and the range of projects that have applied VR technology to traditional regional art forms. It then goes on to provide insights into the development of Pericles VR, situating the project within the broader discourses of both (VR) game design and Shakespeare in Asia, demonstrating how local cultural narratives and artistic traditions inform the adaptation while addressing the specific challenges and opportunities presented by VR as a medium.

ABSTRACT This article explores how the centrality of Ross in Joel Coen’s The Tragedy of Macbeth (2021) encourages a revised understanding of the messenger-thane’s political function in Shakespeare’s play. By expanding Ross’s role and inserting him into scenes where he does not originally appear, Coen draws heightened attention to the moments in Shakespeare’s text where Ross is present, whether as a silent observer or as a bearer of witness reports. It also invites an interrogation of broader patterns and social dynamics within the play, exposing inherent vulnerabilities in both kingship and tyranny. Duncan’s overreliance on his agents for demonstrations of feudal reciprocity blurs the boundaries between the ruler and the subject. Such dependence, paired with his inability to accurately assess information presented to him, destabilises his authority. In turn, Macbeth’s creation of a surveillance state as a corrective to Duncan’s failures of perception also insufficiently accounts for the inscrutability of royal subjects. Ross straddles both kingship and tyranny by performing – and possibly exploiting – the watching-witnessing dynamics of each system of governance. This article argues that Ross’s ambiguous role as an observer and messenger provides a critical lens for understanding the political implications of surveillance and the reliability of testimony in Macbeth.