Shakespeare in

Modern English

Shakespeare in Modern English breaks the taboo about Shakespeare's texts, which have long been regarded as sacred and untouchable while being widely and freely translated into foreign languages. It is designed to make Shakespeare more easily understood in the theatre without dumbing down or simplifying the content.

Shakespeare's plays 'As You Like It', 'Coriolanus' and 'The Tempest' are presented here in stylish modern English. They show that these great plays lose nothing by being acted or read in the language we all use today. Shakespeare's language is poetic, elaborately rich and memorable, but much of it is very difficult to comprehend in the theatre when we have no notes to explain allusions, obsolete vocabulary and whimsical humour. Foreign translations of Shakespeare, always in their modern language, escape these snares and delusions. So why not ours too?

These translations are not designed for children or dummies, but for those who want to understand Shakespeare better, especially in the theatre. Even scholars admit that Shakespeare is sometimes very hard to understand, with centuries of commentary and explanatory notes behind them to prove it.

 

 

Hugh Macdonald  has taught music at the Universities of Cambridge, Oxford, Glasgow, and at Washington University in St Louis. He is a committed advocate of singing opera in the vernacular and an experienced translator of opera for singing.

 

Available from Fishergate Music, paperback, 223 p., ISBN 9781785898402, @ £9.00

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