The Shakespearean Imprint and Its Reinterpretation in the Telugu Canon (1870–1905)

Abstract

This paper examines the dynamic interplay between Shakespearean works and early modern Telugu literature from 1870 to 1905, highlighting a robust intercultural dialogue that shaped literary innovation rather than mere imitation. This is a fascinating convergence where global literary icons met a local genius and rewrote the script of cultural exchange. Rather than passive borrowing, Telugu poets and writers like Kandukuri Veereshalingam, Vavilala Vasudeva Sastri, Duvvuri Ramireddy, and Mullapudi Venkata Ramana actively reimagined Shakespeare’s plays, infusing them with indigenous cultural values, poetic forms, and socio-political critique. These adaptations transformed universal themes of love, power, jealousy, and existential conflict into vehicles for social reform, gender discourse, and anti-colonial nationalism within Telugu society. This study uses contemporary translation studies and postcolonial theory to reveal how these creative reworkings challenged colonial narratives, expanded the Telugu literary canon, and carved out a unique path to modernity. The Shakespearean legacy here is not a one-way street but a transcultural negotiation, where Telugu literature did not just echo the Bard; it conversed, contested, and innovated. This rich intercultural exchange exemplifies how translation can be a bold act of cultural appropriation and transformation, proving that even centuries-old global classics can spark fresh, localised voices and futures.