Safe Shakespeare:
Performing Shakespeare during the Portuguese Fascist Dictatorship (1926-74)
by Rui Pina Coelho
Adriana Silva, 161090
Bruna Silva, 159013
History and Theory of Translation - Zsófia Gombár
Table of contents
Introduction/
Contextualization
01
Censorship Categorization
02
03
Translating
Shakespeare
Chronological Overview
04
Conclusion
05
06
Quiz
The Portuguese Fascism Dictatorship period
António de Oliveira Salazar (1926-33)
Marcello Caetano (1933-74)
1926-74
1927
1974
Decree Law 13-564
Creation of the General Inspectorate of theatres
Inspection and prohibition of any event offensive to the law
Carnation Revolution
Otelo Saraiva de Carvalho
Salgueiro Maia
End of the Portuguese Dictatorship
“The theatre was suffocated through three processes: what was not done, what was forbidden and what was actually done” (Wallenstein 1982:9)
Unwritten plays
Unstaged performances
What was not done:
What was forbidden:
Keeping up with Europe
Discovery of a new theatre and aesthetics
What was actually done:
Repetition of formulas
Imported repertoires (Spanish or French)
William Shakespeare
English playwright, poet and actor.
Introduction of new staging and theatrical concepts
Innovation of “history plays”
Reflection on political trends
Censorship
Categorization
Janelle Reinelt
Categories of Censorship
Military
Censorship
Religious
Censorship
Corporate
Censorship
Uses economic power to protect its interest
Prevent certain groups from worshiping in their own way
Used in times of war to control information on public airways
Categories of Censorship
Used in times of peace to block criticism of regiments in power
Political
Censorship
Moral
Censorship
Used to appeal to public decency
Translating Shakespeare
Little variety, only eleven plays staged
Strong presence of comedies and tragedies and absence of “history plays”
Stuggled to translate new theatrical ideas
Translation of plays and theoretical works
Translating Shakespeare
Efforts to change the theatrical paradigm
Introduce modern theatrical ideas
Promote innovation
Urge to translate and implement the new ideas
Chronological Overview in Portugal
1940
1950
1960
1970
Chronological Overview
Hardening of censorship and political vigilance
“Harmless Shakespeare”
1940
Production by a Portuguese group, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (comedy)
1950
1960
1970
Chronological Overview
1940
1950
Greatest number of plays were performed
“A Tragedia de Macbeth”
Romeo and Juliet (romantic tragedy)
Julius Caesar (tragedy) - play goes on to denounce the abuses and misuses of power - threath to dictatorship
1960
1970
Chronological Overview
1940
1950
1960
Urgent and inevitable need for renewal in theatre
Shakespearean texts provided fertile soil for such efforts
“Macbeth: que se passa na tua cabeça?” - challenged the law, drawing attention to the PIDE (political police)
Hamlet, production that foregrounded the “need to act against an unjust order”
1970
Shakespeare’s plays were synonymous with the non-threatening
Repertoire - comedies and tragedies
Performances offensive to the law, morals and good conduct should be banned
Translations of Shakespearean plays were subjected to censorship
Absence of history plays
Quote
Those among us who belong to the generation that was sacrificed by the outgoing regime during their most creative years, salute the new generations who are coming of age and fervently desire that their recently won freedom will never be lost again.
Bibliography
Pina Coelho, Rui - Safe Shakespeare: Performing Shakespeare During the Portuguese Fascist Dictatorship (1926–74) , 2010
Pina Coelho, Rui - Shakespeare Surveilled by Salazar: Anatomy of a Story of Censorship , 2009
Thank
you