“Whose Play is it?” Translating Shakespeare Into English

Abstract

The paper will look at contemporary published versions of the Shakespearean plays which purport to provide “simplified” or “modernized” readings. Gone are Shakespeare’s polysemy and heteroglossia, to be replaced by a single “meaning” of a given line which in effect goes beyond interpretation to constitute what is in effect a translation of sorts (and underscores consideration s which I think have a direct bearing on translating Shakespeare into other languages as well). This principle may best be illustrated at a close examination of two of Shakespeare’s most consistently twin-tongued characters, Prince Hal and Hamlet. My paper concludes with a short foray into 21^st century “alternative” Shakespeares in English, with a particular focus upon recently emerging “rap” versions of some of the more famous passages.