Comparative Analysis of Marx and Shakespeare's Views

Marxist thinking about culture has paved the way for much research and teaching in university departments of Literature and played a crucial role in the development of recent theoretical works. Feminism, New Historicism, cultural materialism, Postcolonial theory, and queer theory all draw upon ideas about cultural production that can be traced to Marx, and significantly each also has a special relation with Renaissance literary studies. Despite this, Marx's main ideas are seldom properly explained in works about Shakespeare and it is even claimed that they have lost their relevance. This paper aims to explicate the influences of Marxism on Shakespearians, and to suggest ways in which it can play a role in the future of politically engaged literary, dramatic criticism and cultural analysis.