230075 Shakespeare and Adaptation (S) (SoSe 2012)

Since the early seventeenth century, numerous artists have adapted William Shakespeare’s work in order to suit the aesthetic tastes of their cultures. His plays continue to circulate through modern performances in various forms including contemporary drama, novels, poetry, paintings, films, popular music, and computer games.

Why, we might wonder, have so many authors chosen to rework Shakespeare’s plays? In this seminar, we will examine three modern appropriations of Shakespeare's plays, Baz Luhrman's film Romeo + Juliet, Djanet Sears' play Harlem Duet as well as Ann-Marie MacDonald's play Goodnight Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet). Moving beyond questions of relative quality or fidelity between 'original' and adapted texts, we will discuss possible definitions of 'adaptation' and why they are so popular yet also viewed as derivative. The focus will lie on the influence of media as well as on Shakespeare's cultural presence and its effects.

Literaturangaben

The adaptations will be made available in a reader to be purchased in the first session. However, students are kindly asked to obtain (and read!!!) Shakespeare's Othello and Romeo and Juliet in a scholarly edition (preferably either the Oxford Shakespeare or the Arden Shakespeare series).