For years, people have argued whether or not to modernize Shakespeare’s plays into modern English or keep the original version. This idea is explored in the articles “Why We (Mostly) Stopped Messing With Shakespeare’s Language” by Daniel Pollack-Pelzner, “Shakespeare in Modern English?” by James Shapiro, and the play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. In an article by Daniel Pollack-Pelzner, called “Why We (Mostly) Stopped Messing With Shakespeare’s Language”, the article talks about how the Oregon Shakespeare Festival announced that they will modernize thirty-six playwrights into today’s words. The article supports neither modernize or not modernize Shakespeare’s plays. In an article by James Shapiro called, “Shakespeare in Modern …show more content…
This quote shows that Shakespeare is a genius when it comes for his word choice, not the scenes or the characters. The last example of how Shakespeare is known for his language is in the play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. The play states, “O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo?” (Shakespeare). This is one of Shakespeare’s most famous lines in history. This quote shows how whenever people hear or see this line, they know that this is Shakespeare’s work and it comes from the play Romeo and Juliet. Also, this quote translated into modern english doesn’t make sense so Shakespeare’s language should not be translated because then Shakespeare’s plays won’t make sense. the plays Shakespeare’s work should not be modernized because people recognize Shakespeare’s by his own words, not by other people’s interpretation of Shakespeare’s work.
The language in Shakespeare’s plays shouldn’t be changed because the Shakespearean language makes the play more exciting. The Shakespearean language adds more depth into what Shakespeare is trying to tell the readers. From the article, “Why We (Mostly) Stopped Messing With Shakespeare’s Language” by Daniel Pollack-Pelzner, that article states, “James Shapiro, a professor of English at Columbia University, used a regionally apt analogy to express this opinion: “Shakespeare is about the intoxicating richness of the language,” he told Oregon Public
Shakespeare is so old-school. That is what most people think, but many do not know how some versions of Shakespeare's work can become more relevant to the audience. Each version may have their own unique way to show it can be relevant. That is great because some people may be more interested in only one version. Some people find comedy more amusing than others, while some would rather just see the original with the time period it should take place in.
When you hear the word Shakespeare, you probably think that it is meant for the people that use intellectual language, the literary types, or even the people who have a higher reading level than the average person. Well, a college professor named Michael Mack argues that Shakespeare can be for everyone once you understand it and it can relate to the real world or be a reflection of it. Mack produces an effective argument that although Shakespeare is difficult, it is worth the effort. Through his use of rhetorical devices and counterclaims.
In the grand scheme of things, it seems quite odd that the vast majority of people have decided it is important to perform, study, and read plays written by a man who has been dead for over four hundred years. This of course, refers to William Shakespeare. For many people, the mention of his name brings up a faded memorized line or two from high school, but his impact on the world stretches farther than the perimeters of a classroom. Shakespeare revolutionized the English language to the point where half the time people are blissfully unaware of the fact they are quoting him. Whenever someone says, “What a sorry sight,” or, “I’m tongue tied”, they are not only empirically unoriginal, they are spouting Shakespeare.
When Shakespeare was a kid going to grammar school, a school open to boys only by the way! they learned Latin, Greek and rhetoric, persuasion through logical argument. Students read Latin and Greek writers to learn about the history of ancient Greece and "the glory that was Rome” and this material was translated by them into English or French after many hours of work. I'm glad the school curriculum of the 21 st century has evolved and we no longer spend our days doing boring stuff like that! Their old-fashioned, subjects that have little relevance in the modern world of the internet and space travel. The question is: shouldn't we allow our education system to further evolve and file Shakespeare in the same drawer where we've stuck Homer,
“For all but a few...reading Shakespeare is a form of torture” (Robshaw 402) and “few people realize how much englished has changed in the last generation” (Robshaw 401). Shakespeare was taught so long ago that the generation we’re in now is much different, so the students now days don't really want to learn it because it's so old. Our English teachers should teach more things that are of our generation than teach us about 400 years ago.
Many of the words used during this time have been replaced or decommissioned as a result of their uselessness. When compared to modern english, “the stigma associated with most of Shakespeare’s work leads it to be considered “archaic,” “over complicated,” or too “elite” for the average person” (Annie Holleran). While language used during the Elizabethan Era is rather aristocratic, the language today has become ordinary and condensed. According to Annie Holleran, an author for PIT Journal, “It is easier for a 140 character tweet or a 3:00 YouTube video to catch the attention of a teenager than a 1000-plus line tragedy, regardless of content.” Many students today have grown up in a culture that is constantly attempting to abbreviate everything to make things move faster. Shakespeare does the opposite, drawing out his play scenes with elaborate character lines and actions, disrupting students’ normal short-cut habits. Not only do students struggle to understand this Shakespearean language, but actors and directors do as well, making it incredibly difficult for audiences to follow along. James Shapiro, in an article for the New York Times, claimed that, “Even if audiences strain to understand exactly what Macbeth says, they grasp what Macbeth feels — but only if an actor knows what that character’s words mean.” If the actors comprehend the
Pursuing further why Shakespeare should not be taught in school is because Shakespeare is very difficult to understand. “Shakespeare's way with words can be tough for students to grasp”.(DeBlasis) Shakespeare is a lot to comprehend because the way Shakespeare speaks is very different from today's text”.(DeBasis) Shakespeare is very tough to understand now days
By doing this it makes it more entertaining and humorous for modern day audiences as some don’t enjoy or understand the language and aims of Shakespeare’s plays .
According to "Shakespeare: Words, Words, Words." "Old English was considered to be 446-1100 and Modern English was 1500-present. Shakespeare was in the time of the Modern english." Shakespeare was a well educated man and today we have many skilled workers. Back then there were lots of people who couldn't aford a good education, but Shakespeare he got a grand one. one skill that Shakespear did was give words lots of different meanings. There wasn't really any grammer rules back then, so he messed around with the spelling. In the article "Shakespeare: Words, Words, Words." They talk about how shakespear is intriguing, captivating, mind-teasing, beguiling, and euphonious. Today we can't really change words or meanings. We could use diffenrent words together. In Shakespear's plays people say you would have to listen to the tone of the words in order to get some meaning. Today we have changed the whole way we think and write.
The power of language holds great significance not only in Shakespearean study but of our daily lives as well. Every nuance Shakespeare creates leaves a clue to a greater truth or understanding of our humanity. Exploring the works of Shakespeare with this in mind allows for audiences to gain more appreciation and awareness of the depth of language and communication through his dialogue and characters as Shakespeare: “asks us to adorn the actor with our thoughts and ‘carry them here and there, jumping o’er the times’” (Bevington xiii).
A modernized text used alongside the original text actually helps many students understand the original version better, and so it can be used as a helpful tool. Even film adaptations can help students understand Shakespeare better, whether they be tight or loose adaptations. As Annie Holleran explains in her article acknowledging the barriers students face in studying Shakespeare: “Watching such tight adaptations of Shakespeare’s plays in the classroom can help students by giving them the opportunity to experience the Bard’s work visually. Being able to watch a play after a class reads it or as they read it presents the opportunity understand the script on a deeper level, a level deeper than one achieved by simple discussion and analysis through close reading” (“How Modern Film Adaptations Can Overcome Barriers in Studying Shakespeare”). If it helps students to grasp the meaning behind the text on a much deeper level, then why is the modernization of Shakespeare even debated? The modernizations should be justified alone by the fact that they are simply a preference of many of Shakespeare’s audiences. Many authors scoff at the fact that the modernization is even considered, but since not everyone understands the way that the Bard writes, it is essential at the bare minimum in order to gradually learn to read and comprehend the original text over time. It should not be expected that modern day students automatically know how to read Shakespeare without any help, they need to be taught. The authors that scoff say that translations are for those who “don’t understand” (“Why “Translating” Shakespeare for the 21st Century is a Bad Idea”), but the important thing is that by using a modernized version as a learning tool, students are at least trying to
In a genre that contradicts a novelist's affluence of narrative explication, the language in its purest form becomes Shakespeare's powerful instrument, wherein he controls it with the unusual combination of force, subtlety, and exactitude”
Through evolution and changing social times, modern society has begun to question the literary works of famous poets such as William Shakespeare, for his use of predominantly male representation, overused themes, and debased comedy style. Nevertheless, although social progress is underway to broaden the range of literary works studied, it is important to examine Shakespeare in order to recognize his exclusive influence on the English language, depiction of universal characters, and representation of transferable lessons. Although, the overall ideologies involved are not agreeable to civilizations today, it cannot be erased from history, thus is imperative to a student’s knowledge of literature
Shakespeare's plays were intended for people that were illiterate and for those who want to feel emotion on stage when they could not read it. He wrote plays because they were meant to be acted out seeing visually. Heard instead of read and picked apart. This is why Shakespeare should be required in a drama class, not in a language arts class. As Mark Powell said in his article titled, Why we Must Take Shakespeare out of the Classroom, “Even before, and most definitely since, the recent plummet in drama’s status as a specialist subject in schools, many young people’s first experience of Shakespeare is in an English classroom taught by enthusiastic
William Shakespeare 's utilization of dialect still moves gatherings of people today, after 400 years. Four centuries of world-history, flooding with life, love, disaster, and misfortune, have breathed easy set the last accentuation stamp on Shakespeare 's work. Researchers have concentrated his legacy, looking for a comprehension of "why despite everything we give it a second thought", and, how it 's conceivable that "the plays have been performed in practically every dialect." Aside from his conspicuous ability with exposition, what is it about Shakespeare 's work that keeps him significant in classrooms, on stages, in movies, in hearts, in brains—and, "even in detainment facilities, [where] educators find […] Shakespeare offers