$elling $hakespeare: Cultural literacy/cultural capital .

Abstract

The Shakespeare Industry is the meeting of the institutionalized Shakespeare with the forces of capitalism. The business of selling the works and name of the playwright is a centuries-old practice of which Shakespearean scholars are an integral part. The role of academics in literature and drama makes possible the ongoing conspicuous consumption of Shakespeare's works, a phenomenon largely ignored by the profession. Chapter One examines the relationships between the academy and several retail appropriations of Shakespeare. Chapter Two shows the symbiosis that arises between cinematic popularizers and academic guardianship. Chapter Three argues for a digital adaptation of Shakespeare by and for scholars as a means for re-appropriating Shakespeare for academic study.