Not for the Purists

I found Isherwood's article to be pretty compelling, specifically towards the end, where he states, "It’s not for purists, to be sure, but it is showing people a very good time, and maybe, just maybe, inspiring some of them to pick up the play and see what inspired all that spooky, interactive fun."

While I do consider myself to be a "purist" when it comes to some stories and texts, I do believe that "updates" really could potentially create more buzz around original works. What Isherwood touches on in the final words of his text is the fact that a story that has been reworked is certainly not for those who practically worship the original.

That doesn't necessarily mean that an updated version is bad though, and I do believe that it could be beneficial for the same reason that Isherwood states here: it gives more attention to the original, and maybe, intrigues the audience enough to pick up a copy of the original text.

My question is, however, what about those audience members who are affected in the opposite way? Meaning, what about those people who watch something like Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet and just think, "absolutely not, this is terrible. I'm never picking up a Shakespeare play because of this." Could this possibly be an indication as to how the updates sometimes "may not work?"

Update GIF from giphy.com

True Reflections

Image Source: http://immeasurablyvacant.blogspot.com/2014/08/week-05.html

                   Image Source: http://queenelizabethsfantasy.blogspot.com/2014/09/gnomeo-and-juliet-arousing-childrens.html

As I was reading the comment section for the "To Renovate or Not to Renovate" article, I was struck by one particular comment made by H5.  They wrote, "I always think of Shakespeare as they(the) mirror people crave to see themselves. But of course, he states this best: "And since you know you cannot see yourself, so well as by reflection, I, your glass, will modestly discover to yourself, of yourself which you yet know not of." WS  

Is the reason Romeo and Juliet and MacBeth as well as Shakespeare's other plays redone and re-imagined because the core ideas, characters and themes are timeless?

The Big Picture

Romeo and Juliet contribute to modern opinions of what defines love. Love can be shown in many ways. Romeo and Juliet have a strong sense of infatuation of love. Love in the later 1500s is different from love in the 2000's. Hate also exists as long as love has. The hate from the Montague and Capulet families essentially bring Romeo and Juliet together. The love they have for one another is stronger than the hate their families have toward one another. This is ultimately why they kill themselves. If they cannot be together in present life, then they will be together in the afterlife. The belief of afterlife has also been around for an infinite amount of years. Romeo and Juliet are dramatic, but there are realistic and timeless elements to the storyline. For example, in current times, parents can be particular about who their children marry or date. They can hold prejudices in race or ethnic background and socioeconomic status. Some families will disown their children if their stipulations are not in place. This is perhaps what Romeo and Juliet believed, and may be one of the reasons they fled their homes. I am unsure of how popular the belief of love at first sight is, but Romeo and Juliet feel intense feelings for one another upon their first meeting. Some people still hold this belief nowadays. My Dad told me that he felt this when he first met my Mom, which I found ironic.

                                                                 Romeo Must Die

https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&id=104BAE62F88A2EBACB92FF6238E75C5935D959C6&thid=OIP.s3_kMf3jD-T-svUuCi0hYgHaE4&mediaurl=https%3A%2F%2Fs24195.pcdn.co%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2015%2F06%2FAMBW_romeomustdie.jpg&exph=462&expw=700&q=romeo+must+die&selectedindex=14&ajaxhist=0&vt=0

Wherefore art thou adapting?

Sir Ian McKellen in the "Nazis vs British soldiers" themed film production of Richard III

"...the production was really a new musical inspired by the Shakespeare comedy, in no sense an actual production of the play." writes Charles Isherwood in his 2013 New York Times article Updates Work, Except When they Don't. Isherwood is refering to a musical adaptation of Love's Labor's Lost but the point can be made in the broader context of adaptation as a whole. There seem to be three different paths that get taken; direct reproductions that re-create the original point for point with minimal alterations (if any), remixes that alter things like dress and setting. In the context of Shakespeare, this is things like the 1995 cinematic production of Richard III pictured above, or the 2010 TV film version of Macbeth starring Patrick Stewart, "remixed" to evoke 1960's Romania and the brutality of Nicolae Ceaușescu. In both cases, the original language is maintained, with minimal alterations for time. Finally there are adaptations which abandon both setting and text for updated dialogue, costuming, setting, and other aditions like musical numbers, the most famous example being West Side Story. There is a lot of leeway within those three categories, but they broadly encompass the three ways I believe we creatively interact with a source text and turn it into popular culture; recreation, adaptation, and inspiration.

What is Romeo and Juliet about?

(Frederic Leighton)

One of the constant themes in Romeo and Juliet is that of teen angst.  This, perhaps just as much as the romance in the play, is a feeling to which readers of any era are able to relate.  On more than one occasion (and with a variety of levels of snark), I've heard this play described as being about teen rebellion more so than love.  This argument may hold some truth.  From Juliet describing her situation as "past hope, past care, past help" (4.1. 46), to Romeo unleashing an anti capitalist tirade on an innocent apothecary (5.2. 84-91), the text is certainly ripe with teen angst and knowitallness.  But does this attitude take away from the love story built around it?  Which aspect of the text has led to its constant retelling and re-imagining? 

Remixing Classics Makes them More Accessible

"Are the most memorable Shakespeare productions you’ve seen modern or “classical”? Do you find it jarring when Hamlet picks up an iPad? What did you make of Mr. Leveaux’s 'Romeo and Juliet'/" (Isherwood, "To Renovate or Not to Renovate").

"Beyond that, performances must be shaped line by line and scene by scene. Given the remoteness of some of the language, and the sheer complexity of the plays, I would guess that most actors are immensely grateful to directors for helping them shape their performances" (Isherwood, "Updates Work, Except When They Don't")

Is the point of reworking classics to be innovative? To keep the work alive for modern audiences? To allow audiences to understand the plot before cycling back to the original work? All of the above?

I once argued with a classmate on the merit of works like the "Lizzie Bennett Diaries" when taking the Jane Austen course here at Hood. Her point was that the work warped and misconstrued one of Austen's most beloved works; my point, that a side from being entertaining, it is re-telling stories that keeps them alive, in conversation, and in the best case peaks peoples interest in reading the original--while allowing them to understand otherwise complex language they may not have understood previously. Remixes can also highlight points of a work that can otherwise go unnoticed by audiences who have worked with them time and time again. So perhaps as a scholar of Hamlet you uncover a new interpretation when the namesake picks up an iPad as opposed to a skull.

Constant Themes of Romeo and Juliet Question

Dr. MB encouraged us to think about why this iconic story has stuck for centuries as we read the text. After reflecting on the text (and being thankful it was over) I was left considering three major themes that draw in the reader. Is it Love, the desire to have something that we cannot or rivalry that keeps us coming back to the central plot of the story? Ultimately these draw on many of the complexities of human nature and pull at many of the things that motivate us in our current lives.