Shakespeare's Cathayans: Twelfth Night, Maritime Exchange, and Early Modern China.

The article focuses on challenging the traditional interpretation of Shakespeare's use of the term "Cathayan" in "Twelfth Night" arguing that editorial glosses have incorrectly attributed a moralizing valence to the term. Topics include the historical context of Ming China's policies on international maritime exchange, the influence of eighteenth-century editors in shaping racialized interpretations, and a proposal that Shakespeare's reference to Cathay in the play.