Power struggle in Shakespeare and his contemporary rewritings

This study focuses on the power struggles in Shakespearean plays, particularly in King Lear and The Tempest. Their rewritings Dunbar by St. Aubyn and Hag-Seed by Atwood share the same plots with different circumstances and settings. Similarly, they contain power struggles seen in contemporary settings. Therefore, to be able to analyse power, and see its effects on the characters, a Foucauldian perspective is going to be practiced. Keeping the fact that Shakespeare plays were written in the 16th and 17th century England in mind, they are going to be studied in terms of their discourse and context initially. Besides, the exercise of power and discipline and its transformation throughout the centuries are going to be exemplified with the help of the four works mentioned above. Key words: King Lear, The Tempest, power, authority, Dunbar, Hag-Seed, discourse, panopticon, surveillance