셰익스피어 생태비평: 접촉지대를 세우려는 시도

Abstract

This article examines the current state of ecocriticism with a particular focus on its application to Shakespearean studies, addressing ongoing debates about its theoretical coherence and methodological identity. Since its emergence in the 1990s, ecocriticism has developed into a significant field within literary and cultural studies, marked by notable quantitative and qualitative growth. Yet, despite its increasing institutional recognition, questions remain as to whether ecocriticism constitutes a distinct critical methodology. This study explores scholarly attempts to establish ecocriticism as an independent field and argues that the three hallmark features commonly associated with it often complicate rather than clarify its boundaries. These issues become even more pronounced in Shakespearean ecocriticism, where the canonical nature of Shakespeare’s works introduces additional interpretive challenges. Drawing on Donna Haraway’s concept of the “contact zone,” this article contends that the coexistence of diverse theoretical principles and political positions within Shakespearean ecocriticism reflects ecocriticism’s engagement with heterogeneous terrains. Rather than a weakness, this multiplicity is presented as a productive and defining strength of ecocritical practice.