Previous criticism has not adequately discussed oriental aspects of the content of
Shakespearean drama. In addition to his portrayal of oriental figures (such as Cleopatra
Othello and Shylock) and his use of literary genres and motifs that have roots in oriental
tradition (such as that of the tragic romance in Romeo and Juliet there are certain key
elements in Shakespeare's thought and outlook that can only be properly understood within the
larger contribution of the oriental legacy. This legacy has clear relevance not only to the
exemplary fate of the lovers in Romeo and Juliet but also to the destinies of such major
Shakespearean heroes as Hamlet and Lear. Shakespeare the Orient and the Critics investigates
the boundaries of oriental framework within works such as Hamlet King Lear and The Tempest.
Stylistically at the heart of Shakespeare's orientalism are two long-recognized features of
his dramatic art: his predilection for reversing stereotypes and his sympathy and
identification with the alien and the «other.» This can be most clearly seen in the love
tragedies of Othello and Anthony and Cleopatra as well as the romantic comedy of The Merchant
of Venice. Ultimately the philosophic underpinning of such works is a special expression of
Renaissance humanism that transcends the boundaries of class race and culture.
