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Shakespeare on Film

History

Still image from MacbethInstead of perceiving history as a rigid set of facts and figures, imagine viewing the past as a constant flux of continuity and change. Narratives of past events are often constructed, adapted and shaped to fit in with a particular set of ideologies.

But isn’t history fact? What is the difference between ‘history’ and ‘the past’?

What we know about the past, and what we understand to be historical fact, often comes from cultural texts that present history to us in different forms – plays, books and films. However, these are all different interpretations of the past that are adapted to fit in with the requirements of the text.

For example:

  • How many different representations of WWII can we think of? Where do they come from? How do we judge which is the most reliable?
  • What are the differences between primary and secondary sources?
  • How would you position a Shakespeare play in terms of these categories?