Friday, November 15, 2013
Shakespeare
He is one of the most revered authors of all time. He has written many, many plays and poems. Other than the fact of his vocabulary, why do we keep his plays in Elizabethan English? Why are the plays not translated for easier reading? Wouldn't his words still be as impressive, or even more so, if they were easily understandable? I enjoy Shakespeare's works now, after having several years to get acquainted with this language. But as a senior in high school, I still struggle with the rhythm and beat of the words. His extensive vocabulary causes my brain to run circles around it’s self, and his puns and other subtle jokes still remain elusive to me. It is only with very careful reading that I gain even a fraction of his meaning. Of course with Shakespeare, you could analyze his plays forever and make new finds each time. So my real question is why is Shakespeare not translated so we can better understand his impressive plays and poems? Other than the preservation of the great works, what reason is there that his plays still remain on a difficult level with high school and college students?
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I believe that the reason Shakespeare's plays are not translated is to keep the context of the play, and to give students a challenge while broadening their horizons and knowledge. If his plays and poems were translated, it would take the challenge out of reading his plays and deciphering what Shakespeare meant. And that is truly where the challenge and enjoyment of reading his works comes in. Figuring out meanings behind lines in a play or other work allows the reader some satisfaction. If the works are translated, then the meanings are out in plain view for anyone to see and it takes the challenge away. There is more analytical work to be done with his original works, and original language allows for different interpretations. Shakespeare was one of the greatest writers of all time, and it does him no justice to take the challenge from his works. It takes time to fully understand the Victorian language and all of the language that Shakespeare uses in his works, but it is most likely worth investing the time to understand the works as they were written instead of in modern English.
ReplyDeleteIt is true that Shakespeare's works are challenging. The sense of accomplishment that comes with deciphering the works in front of the student is a major step in learning. I like the stance that you took on this problem. Not translating the plays allows the reader to interpret what he meant and create their own ideas about the play. It also allows students to create their own thoughts and connections, because they do not know absolutely everything about the language.
DeleteI think that less people are studing Chakespeare because our society is speeding up in everything that we do. The internet is faster, vehicles are faster, and we even have fast food. I do not think that people want to take the time out of their day to try and understand a piece of work that is not written in an easily understandable language. That reason is exactly why people do need to take time to learn what Shakespeare had to say. Most everything that he wrote is relatable to todays world, people just need to slow down and take the time to appreciate the works of Shakespeare.
DeleteI think that it would defeat and undermine the great works that Shakespeare wrote if we were to translate it to make it easier for modern day audiences to understand. Part of what makes Shakespeare's writing great is the language that is used. Students need to be exposed to the differences in style that come from his works. Shakespeare's writing challenges students to think deeper. It takes hard work to understand the writing, but it is worth going through the effort to understand. I also think that most students lack the drive to read Shakespeare because they do not know how a story written hundreds of years today can still be relevant.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that students need to be exposed to many different types of literature. If one is only exposed to modern day literature, they loose the ability to read older literature. This could potentially hurt them if there potential career depended on it. One should be exposed to history including literature to become well rounded. Shakespeare's language allows people to think outside of their normal comfort zone and gain a new perspective on everything in life.
DeleteSarah, I agree. Students don't want to read Shakespeare because they don't think that a piece of literature written so long ago can apply to their lives. Of course, if anyone were to read and decipher Shakespeare's stories, they would see that he covers so many situations and circumstances that are applicable to our lives today. Romeo and Juliet is a timeless piece of work. The sorrow of a love that is forbidden to be is a story that can be applied to almost any era of time. This is a story that can be applied to teenagers specifically; in movies, for instance, we see often times that a girl and boy fall in love but aren't allowed to be together for some reason or another. In this way, Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet is alluded to in many stories.
DeleteI agree with what you've said. Shakespeare challenges students, essentially forcing them to work to understand the literature. And that's good, because many students don't challenge themselves as they should. The literature is unique as it has been used for centuries and has not been wholly translated for easier reading for people that do not wish to challenge themselves.
DeleteAddiction, compromise, gloomy, lonely. These are just a few of the thousands of words that Shakespeare invented. Without Shakespeare’s language, where would the English language be today? Shakespeare’s language is his signature style. Shakespeare’s works of literature would no longer be Shakespeare’s if their language were changed. Because his style is so unique, that is what makes his work so great. I think that Shakespeare’s literature should not be translated. His works are some of the most challenging pieces of literature in the English language that there are to read and understand. However, the challenge for the reader makes the language all the more thrilling and beautiful once it is understood. Shakespeare is a one-of-a-kind artist. His works have inspired thousands of writers after his time to create works of their own. The language Shakespeare uses make his pieces of work unique and challenging, making his pieces of literature some of the most influential in the English language today.
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ReplyDeleteMany of us put great value on Shakespeare's originality. To change words would change the originality of the original work. Most of us believe that we should preserve art rather than change it. Shakespeare's works are considered art by our society. If someone were to translate it, they may use words that the general public would not agree with. Many people also think of different definitions of each word and may not look at it the same way. If the plays are not broken, then why fix them? The original words are chosen by Shakespeare to use in the story. Those are the words that best convey the story as it was originally intended. To change those words could possibly change the actual story's meaning.
ReplyDeleteIt is very true that our society holds Shakespeare's works as pieces of art. They are looked upon as something so fragile and important. You are right that if the words were to be changed, then they would be morphed into something not quite as special. People all speak differently from one another. Even within one generation such as our own, we will speak differently from one person to the next. It is also obvious that someone from today would speak much, much differently than Shakespeare. Now it may seem that just a simple switch of words would not be too drastic of a change, but it would be. It would be difficult to find a translator that had Shakespeare's intentions and meanings in mind. There are decades that separate the ideas Shakespeare had when he first wrote them down. Not only would the language be different, but also the tone and way of speaking. Adapting Shakespeare to modern language would be creating new stories by morphing the old.
DeleteShakespeare has been made sacred. His work has inspired millions of modern stories today. This goes back to the idea of Foster about how there is only One Story. Authors and screen-writers can build their own work off of Shakespeare's. He created a base for many modern works. The best part about Shakespeare is that it creates a challenge. For those people that love to work hard for an accomplishment, Shakespeare is perfect for them. Another point is that Shakespeare is made out to be so amazing and all of his works are held on a pedastool. Many people feel that it is necessary for them to get into Shakespeare because he is so popular and his plays are so famous. They have a need to know what all the glamour is about. Now to change his language, it would lose that value. It would lose the thrill of that challenge and it would lose that immense fame because it loses worth.
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