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PrzemysławŁukasikandMaikArnold
Therefore,literature–inthiscaseWilliamShakespeare’sworks–
isamessengerandheraldofimage-realcollagesandaspirations.Cha-
ractersandeventsfromhisdramas,poems,andsonnetsdostillplayan
importantrolenotonlyinliteraturecircles,butalsoinreallife.They
presentandcriticizeeverydaylifeandsocialdevelopments.2Inthis
sense,thesecharactersmaytellussomethingaboutthecomplexity
intransatlanticrelationsaswell.Naturally,suchthought-provoking
attemptsareaccompaniedbymeansofgeneralization,sometimesalso
bythenecessityofsimplificationandofsuperficiality,especiallyin
respecttothedescriptionandexplanationofculturalexchange.For
allofthese,weofferanexcusetothereaderinadvance.Nevertheless,
wedostillhopethatthisapproachwillhelptoexplainAmerican-
GermanrelationsthoroughlywiththehelpofWilliamShakespeare.
WehavechosenthisgreatEnglishpoet,andeventhetopic4litera-
ture’,asalinkbetweentheimagesandrealityoftransatlanticrelations
becauseofseveralreasons,althoughitisnotintendedasagenuine
literatureanalysis.
Firstly,Shakespearewasoneofthemostprominentrepresentatives
andambassadorofrethinkingone’sownpersonalaffectiveemotions
orcollectivesocioculturalrelationswiththeothers.Inhisdramasand
poems,heshowshowstereotypesandbeliefsaboutspecificsocialgro-
ups,typesofindividuals,andevendiplomaticactivitieswork4behind
thecurtains’.Shakespeareisalsobestknownforbeingoneofthe
leadingnarrators,commentators,andexegetesofgreatarchetypalcha-
racters,notonlyduringhislifetimeandinhiscountry,althougholdand
new4England’emergedasanopinionleaderforEuropean-American
relations.However,hisliteratureiswidelyacknowledgedandinterpre-
tedbecauseofhisexceptionallygiftedtalentofimagination.Wethink
thathisworksshowusamirrortorealityanddreamingofAmerica
andEuropeonameta-theoreticallevel.Heincorporatesandtransforms
hisdeliberations,reflections,andthoughtsaboutthehumannaturein
almostrealandauthenticcharactersoffleshandblood.Shakespeare’s
charactersareveryspecifictypesofheroes,fullofambivalentfeelings
andambitionslinkedtothemetaphorsofloveandhate.Hence,theinner
2ForanoverviewofShakespeare’ssocialcriticisminhisworks,seei.e.Grady(1996).
