THE ABJECT SELF AND CULTURAL TRANSGRESSION IN SHAKESPEARE’S PLAYS: A KRISTEVAN PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

This work examines the link between Julia Kristeva’s idea of the abject and Shakespeare’s tragedies and histories, considering how abjection upsets the sense of self, leadership and morality. The concept of the abject by Kristeva enables a thorough investigation of Shakespeare’s repeated interest in grotesque, monstrous and transgressive characters. This study looks at how Lady Macbeth, Richard III and Caliban play out forces that test the traditions separating us from the world and ourselves. By using Kristeva’s perspective, we can understand that the characters are facing a greater fear of losing who they are and the boundaries between different cultures. By looking at Shakespeare from a psychoanalytic and poststructuralist view, I argue that the “abject” shapes the way his plays portray feelings and ideas.

Keywords: Abjection, Julia Kristeva, Psychoanalysis, Early Modern Drama, Lady Macbeth, Subjectivity, Madness, Body Politics, Feminist Theory