Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar” and “The Merchant of Venice”: A Posthumanistic Perspective

Abstract

This paper depicts William Shakespeare’s plays “Julius Caesar” and “The Merchant of Venice” through the lens of posthumanism, a philosophical and critical theory that interrogates human-centric ideologies, embraces technological, ecological, and material agency, and deconstructs the boundaries between humans and non-humans. By re-evaluating characters, power dynamics, and socio-political structures in these plays, this paper reveals how Shakespeare’s works resonate with posthumanistic concerns, despite originating in a humanist era. The article explores themes of power, justice, identity, and otherness, analyzing how human and non-human agencies coalesce to shape the narratives.