Shakespeare I know this post is going to out me as a Radio Times reader, but one letter today really incensed me. I'll let is speak for itself.



... guy wins a DAB radio for that, thereby suggesting the RT letters editor actually agrees with him. There isn't anything actually wrong with modern retellings of Shakespeare's plays. I love Ten Things I Hate About You and O (and Joe Macbeth while we're at it). But this guy seems to be looking for someone to film this thing. To spell it out to Chris who is asking Why is it that Shakespeare's words are considered sacrosanct? The reason people don't produce a word for word English translated version of Shakespeare is because ... it would be stupid. The modern French versions try to replicate the sense and imagery whilst attempting to keep the poetry. You're looking for someone to take you example 'Tis in grain' and get someone to explode the meaning and then get the actor to say all those tedious flabby words. In Shakespeare you aren't loosing meaning because it's in what you're calling a foreign language -- you're in fact gaining layers of meaning for those who want to go look for them. For everyone else the general sense is in there and if you can actually be bothered to listen a perfectly good idea of what is going on. It's all about the poetry in the bard, not always the plot. I need to drink ...

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