How have Shakespeare's plays changed?
Shakespeare today is performed in a wide array of forms, it is no longer just in the theatre but now it can be seen in films and television as well. When it is in the theatre the conditions are much more hygienic for both the audience and the performers as well as civilised, where fights may have broke out in shakespeare time it is now a much more calm affair. The globe itself has been rebuilt and the floor has been replaced by a concrete base adding to the growth in hygiene. The actors are now both men and women and sometimes children meaning parts appear much more truthful and real.
The plays themselves have been adapted and changed, made into modern day equivalents with different language or kept the same but with a different concept running through them. For example, Frantic assembly's version of Othello is set in a modern day pub, whilst it still uses Shakespeare's original text it has been adapted visually to make it more appealing and relatable to the modern audience. This piece also uses physical theatre to help tell the story and has added modern day music to further this concept even more.
The length of shakespeare plays has also changed, often they are abridged in order to condense down the story and make sense of it quicker, many are still performed in their original length but some are now just an hour or hour and a half. Making sense of the old language has been a large factor in why shakespeare's plays have changes/ been adapted. Often adding in a concept allows audiences to understand the circumstances better and connect with what is being said. Film adaptations that take just the story line and not the language are another example of this, they allow modern-day visuals and language to tell the original story. Translations for shakespeare plays are also now available meaning an audience can make sense of the words shakespeare wrote.
Where the plays are performed is now much more varied than it was in shakespeare's time, it is now possible to really perform these plays anywhere and they are not confined to traditional theatres or playhouses anymore.
Frantic assembly's othello - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrZAYq4gVPQ
Shakespeares globe today - http://www.shakespearesglobe.com/about-us/virtual-tour/stage
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