Shakespearean Adaptations for Young Adults
Keywords:
William Shakespeare, adaptation, appropriation, reception, SMS language, popular cultureAbstract
Shakespeare’s plays are undoubtedly among the most frequently translated, staged, adapted—both for stage and screen—and (over/mis)quoted. His plays and sonnets are widely read and are generally considered canonical, with their appeal crossing thematic, geographical and chronological boundaries. Each generation of recipients responds to Shakespeare’s work in a different way. The present paper discusses Shakespearean adaptations which aim to encourage young recipients to engage with Shakespeare through the use of young people’s language. First, the article examines how emoticons, textual portrayals and hashtags are used to render Shakespeare’s plays in new ways. The OMG Shakespeare series, which has been both criticized and praised, represents a transformation of Shakespeare’s plays into new forms, e.g. srsly Hamlet (Courtney Carbone, 2015), YOLO Juliet (Brett Wright, 2015), Macbeth #killingit (Courtney Carbone, 2016), and A Midsummer Night #nofilter (Brett Wright, 2016). In addition, attention will be devoted to the representations of and allusions to Shakespeare and Shakespeare’s characters in popular culture. The paper concludes by discussing how new, non-traditional interpretative choices may impact the reception of Shakespeare and his work on younger audiences.
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