Shakespeare better known in India than UK: Survey

LONDON: William Shakespeare is understood far better in India than his birth country and the iconic playwright’s popularity in the emerging economies exceeds his fame in the UK, a new survey released today has found.

The YouGov poll for the British Council covered 18,000 people across 15 countries to mark the 400th death anniversary of the Bard this month. According to the report titled All the World’s, as many as 83% of Indians said they understood Shakespeare, compared to just 58% of Britons.

In Mexico, 88% said they liked Shakespeare, compared with only 59% of British people and 84% of Brazilians said they found him relevant to today’s world, compared with just 57% in the UK. More than a third of people questioned said Shakespeare made them feel more positive about the UK in general, with the figures highest in India (62%) and Brazil (57%).

This has led the British Council to conclude that the popularity of Shakespeare in emerging economies, such as India and Mexico, would have a “direct impact on the future stability, prosperity and influence of the UK.”