The ocean appears in every Shakespeare play, whether literally or figuratively. Dr Daroy says that harnessing this imagery can help to translate our own oceanic challenges to page and stage in new, impactful ways.  

“Classic texts frequently require updated perspectives. Reading Shakespeare’s plays through the lens of current ecological crisis can reveal new interpretations and inspire novel modes of practice.” 

Ecological literary and performance adaptations of Shakespeare’s work seek to harness the plays’ vibrant imagery and powerful language. These form part of a wider movement in the environmental humanities that explores artistic responses to ecological degradation. 

“While science informs our understanding of environmental destruction, the arts can turn complex data into emotionally compelling narratives to inspire action,” Dr Daroy says.  

“Shakespeare has a lot to say about the natural world and it is fascinating to observe the way in which characters’ thoughts and feelings are often described in more-than-human ways”.  

“Shakespeare’s nautical worlds offer a particularly dramatic expression of how the characters perceive the sea as both beautiful and terrifying”, Dr Daroy notes. “This invites us to question our own responses to landscape, from fetishised to exploitative.   

“It also allows us to harness the beauty and power of Shakespeare’s text through performance to celebrate our own exquisite yet rapidly disintegrating landscapes”.

Want to know more?  

You can read more about Murdoch’s English and Creative Writing program, which empowers graduates to find creative solutions to environmental and social challenges. 

You can also read the National Maritime Museum’s First Folio tribute and attend the Royal Museums Greenwich’s Shakespeare and the Sea Conference, September 8–9.

Image: The Wreck of the Amsterdam, c.1630, Anonymous, National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, UK.