Shakespeare and Conservatism during the Greek Civil War (1946–1950)

The ideological and political climate during the Greek Civil War had a negative effect on the staging of Shakespeare's plays in Greece. Between 1946 and 1950, the English dramatist came to be associated with conservatism and escapism. This impression was largely due to the way Shakespeare's plays were performed by the state-funded National Theater of Greece in Athens and to the new repertory policy of private theater companies that favored the production of contemporary Greek plays. This new policy, which was ideologically-inspired, was seen as a sign of cultural progress. The production of Shakespeare's plays during this period declined and so did the culture that supported it.