A Chronotopic Analysis of Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Al-Hakim’s The People of the Cave

Abstract

This study sheds the light on the use of chronotopes in Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Al-Hakim’s The People of the Cave and demonstrates the differences and similarities between them accordingly. This paper depends on Bakhtin's theory of chronotope in examining the elements of time-space and clarifying its role in enriching the dramatic plot of both plays. The importance of this study is due to its novelty, as there is no previous study that analyzed the use of time-space in both plays exhaustively. The results of this study showed that there are similarities or commonalities between the two plays at the level of the chronotope of adventure, threshold, and parlors and salons, where the role of these chronotopes was equally influential in the construction of the plot and enriching the dramatic actions. Furthermore, there was a perspicuous and prominent difference in terms of presenting idyllic chronotopes, as this chronotope was tremendously violated in Hamlet, while The People of the Cave came in line with what Bakhtin elucidated in his interpretation of the moral role of these chronotopes. In a nutshell, Al-Hakim’s focus on presenting Islamic elements in a tragic theatrical framework is considered one of the most important differences between the two plays.