richard chember

Readable Shakespeare

Where for art thou Romeo?    Who would fardels bear?

Why are you called Romeo?   Who would bear these burdens?

If Shakespeare meant burdens instead of fardels, what's to stop us reading that?  Which is easier to understand?  Which is more readable?  We no longer share all Shakespeare's language.  Much has changed, and some of it is misleading.  Enter the Readable Shakespeare, a translation so seamless that you may no believe you are not reading the original - except that you'll understand every word.  This version:

• Eliminates the need for excessive footnotes
• Smooths out complicated sentence constructions
• Updates misleading, outdated and incomprehensible words
• Rescues humour and imagery from obscurity

And leaves what's readable in the original intact.  The Readable Shakespeare gives you a play Will could have written yesterday.  The actual play, with modern words where necessary.

Much Ado About Nothing

This doesn't look like a wedding...

Claudio and Hero are happy to get married, that's true.  But Benedick is a man who would challenge Cupid himself to find him a wife.  Beatrice is so fed up with men that she will never find a husband.  And they hate each other especially.  What could possibly bring them together, except a mistake?  A well planned and executed, mistake. 

Shakespeare's innovative model for every single story where the lovers' only obstacle is themselves... now made Readable.