IF YOU’RE TRANSLATING SHAKESPEARE INTO CURRENT ENGLISH, WHY NOT GO ALL THE WAY? —-“I THINK SHAKESPEAR NEEDS TO TALK IN MODERN ENGLISH, INNIT, BRUV?†I also agree with the new director at the Globe on her other positions:
[3] Translating Shakespeare. I have posted, for example, here about how the linguist John McWhorter is in favor of modern English translations.I supported his position, for example, here. on the theory that it would add to Shakespeare’s audiences. But why not go farther, and use contemporary English slang? One wonderful comment on this blog by Loki-69 made the argument for performing Shakespeare in current English: “I THINK SHAKESPEAR NEEDS TO TALK IN MODERN ENGLISH, INNIT, BRUV?†(COMMENT).” I supported the proposal in my reply to Loki-69’s comment.
[4] Cutting Shakespeare. Shakespeare’s plays are cut all the time. I would like to have more of the text, but I’ll take what I can get. I understand Kenneth Branagh’s movie of Hamlet is the only one out of 22 movies of Hamlet which did not cut the text.