Performing Race - Interrogating Gareth Hinds’s Graphic Novel Adaptation of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet

Aug 25, 2026

Gareth Hinds’s 2013 graphic novel adaptation of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet racializes the rival families, assigning the Capulets as South Asian and the Montagues as Black. The essay examines how this choice introduces racism and colorism into the story’s conflicts, shaping reader interpretation. It situates the adaptation within graphic novels as performance media, applies semiotics of race, and offers classroom-focused discussion suggestions for engaging a young adult audience responsibly.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages23

Reading Time58 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Background and Context

Racialization of the Rival Families

Graphic Novels and Performance Media

Semiotics of Race and Performance

Race and Colorism in Hinds’s Romeo and Juliet

Teaching Shakespeare to a Young Adult Audience

Conclusion

References

Performing Race: Interrogating Gareth Hinds’s Graphic Novel Adaptation of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet J. Katharine Burton, University of South Florida Abstract ◆ Background and Context ◆ Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and Race ◆ Graphic Novels and Performance Media ◆ Semiotics of Race and Performance ◆ Race and Colorism in Hinds’s Romeo and Juliet ◆ Teaching Shakespeare to a Young Adult Audience ◆ Conclusion ◆ References AbstrAct Gareth Hinds’s graphic novel adaptation of Shakespeare’s The Most Excellent and Lamentable Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet assigns the two rival families to different races: South Asian (the Capulets) and Black (the Montagues). Published in 2013 by Candlewick Press, Hinds’s adaptation received favorable reviews from Kirkus Reviews, the Horn Book (Long), and the Wall Street Journal (Gurdon), generally centered on the colorful graphics, the skillful editing of Shakespeare’s text, and its resemblance to stage productions. Although a few reviewers note the racial/ethnic characteristics of the families, none focus on what this depiction might contribute to the story other than giving an “added poignancy to the enmity between the families” (Gurdon 2013) . The only acknowledgment that Hinds’s interpretation may create problems for student readers is a brief mention in an article by Turchi and Christenson explicitly addressing the issue of racism in this and other related productions. They note that “ignoring racially and ethnically marked differences erases race but not racism”(2018, 112) . In today’s environment, with the recent \#BlackLivesMatter social protests and ongoing contentious argument ofwhether our nation’s schools should teach critical race theory, the lack of debate about Hinds’s racialization of Shakespeare’s characters is surprising. The concerns surrounding discussions of race, particularly in classroom settings, draw new attention to the fact that adapters should make thoughtful, conscious choices in the characterization of different racial/ethnic groups. If they do not, they risk perpetuating“colorblindness,” defined by Lipsitz as “pretend[ing] that racial recognition rather than racist rule is the problem to be solved . . . reinforc[ing] whiteness as the unmarked norm against which difference is measured”(2019, 24) . B&L Vol. 15 No. 2 Performing Race – J. Katharine Burton • As Ayanna Thompson describes it,“race . . . has multiple, and at times contradictory, uses in contemporary American discourse . . . At its most basic sense . . . it is a categorization of humans into groups based on heritable traits . . . but it is also used to signify a set of cultural practices . . . as well as to denote only nonwhite people”(2011, 4). All, several, or only one of these definitions may be at play either in a Shakespeare play or an adaptation where characters from different racial/ethnic backgrounds interact. I argue that by racializing the Montagues and the Capulets and their rivalry, Hinds introduces racism and colorism into the story, highlighting the complicated ways in which race frames the conflicts, thereby impacting how readers interpret those conflicts. After a background and context discussion, I interrogate Hinds’s creative choices in adapting Shakespeare’s text to a graphic novel format. In doing so, I consider how Shakespeare’s text has been modified to incorporate race in stage, film, and graphic novels, and the relationship between graphic novels and performance media. I then contemplate and apply an understanding of the semiotics of race and performance to this novel before offering close readings of selected graphical depictions and discussing the interaction between Hinds’s graphics and text to illustrate how his racialization impacts readers’ perceptions. Before concluding my essay, I offer suggestions for classroom discussions. bAckground And context Hinds’s choice of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet to adapt to a graphic novel format is not unique or unusual.

FAQs

How does the adaptation assign race to the rival families in Romeo and Juliet?

Hinds assigns the Capulets as South Asian and the Montagues as Black, creating a racialized framework for the families’ rivalry.

What is the central argument about the effects of Hinds’s racialization?

The essay argues that racializing the Montagues and the Capulets introduces racism and colorism, emphasizing how race structures the conflict and influences interpretation.

Why does the essay emphasize careful classroom discussion of race?

Because race debates in schools raise concerns about colorblindness, the essay highlights that adapters should make conscious characterization choices to avoid perpetuating racist interpretations.

Aug 25, 2026

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