From 19th-century Russian performances as viewed and reported by Iranian travelers, to Vahram Papazian’s Soviet-era Shakespeare in Iran, to the recent popularity of Macbeth Zar (a highly ritualistic Iranian adaptation on Russian stages), Iran’s reception and appropriation of Shakespeare has often been influenced by that of its northern neighbor(s). Russian/Soviet (and Armenian) Shakespeares have embodied Iran’s fascination with the West, and its quest for modernization and cultural diplomacy. This paper considers this historical context, while focusing on the long-lasting influence of Grigori Kozintsev’s 1964 Hamlet, and how its hero has continued to represent a voice of protest and defiance among Iranian youth
