The way in which Shakespeare’s plays have been incorporated into the literary traditions of countries other than his own is of no greater interest than his incorporation into the theatre—his reappearance year after year on their stages. When did this incorporation start? Which plays are most popular? Has production method followed the same changes it has in England? Are the roles given similar interpretations by the actors? These are some of the questions this paper will attempt to answer for the Flemish-speaking stage of Belgium.

Shakespeare as a part of the Belgian theatrical tradition is difficult to survey, for (as is perhaps too little realized) even the Belgian National Theatre is, in reality, two distinct theatres representing two linguistic and cultural groups.

Information of all kinds coming from Belgium is in French, and it may be a surprise to some to learn that four and a half of its eight million inhabitants speak, not French, but Flemish, and that the Belgian National Theatre, founded in 1945 by the Ministry of Education, has one French-speaking theatre to three that perform in Flemish.