Negotiating identity in the face of the canon: Murray Carlin and Derek Walcott’s use of metadrama in Shakespeare adaptations

This essay discusses two metadramatic adaptations of Shakespeare that have postcolonial backgrounds: Murray Carlin’s Not Now Sweet Desdemona (1968) and Derek Walcott’s A Branch of the Blue Nile (1983). An analysis of the two plays reveals that a postcolonial identity inevitably involves hybridity, which necessitates individuals’ struggles between imposed and indigenous histories. Although both plays originate from postcolonial contexts and use metadrama to convey their messages, they exhibit contrasting attitudes towards the influence of colonialism and the prevalence of Eurocentric viewpoints in life on and off the stage. Contrary to Carlin’s endorsement of Shakespeare’s universal genius and suggestion for peaceful unity within the community, Walcott promotes the acceptance of hybridity in postcolonial culture and advocates for an active adaptation based on local reality. In the process, the form of metadrama plays an essential role in inviting the audience to engage critically as they observe the characters in the plays discussing their interpretations and applications of the plays-within-the-play.