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Hamlet
William Shakespeare
Arizona Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies, 2021
To thine own text be true—Lisa Peterson’s translation of Hamlet into contemporary American English makes the play accessible to new audiences while keeping the soul of Shakespeare’s writing intact. 
 
Lovers of Shakespeare’s language take heart: Lisa Peterson’s translation of Hamlet into contemporary American English was guided by the principle of “First, do no harm.” Leaving the most famous parts of Hamlet untouched, Peterson untied the language knots that can make the rest of the play difficult to understand in a single theatrical viewing. Peterson’s translation makes Hamlet accessible to new audiences, drawing out its timeless themes while helping to contextualize "To be, or not to be: that is the question," and “Something is rotten in the state of Denmark,” so that contemporary audiences can feel their full weight.

This translation of Hamlet was written as part of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s Play On! project, which commissioned new translations of thirty-nine Shakespeare plays. These translations present work from "The Bard" in language accessible to modern audiences while never losing the beauty of Shakespeare’s verse. Enlisting the talents of a diverse group of contemporary playwrights, screenwriters, and dramaturges from diverse backgrounds, this project reenvisions Shakespeare for the twenty-first century. These volumes make these works available for the first time in print—a new First Folio for a new era.
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The Hamlet Vocation of Coleridge and Wordsworth
Martin Greenberg
University of Iowa Press, 1986

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Harmful Eloquence
Ovid's Amores from Antiquity to Shakespeare
M. L. Stapleton
University of Michigan Press, 1996
M. L . Stapleton's Harmful Eloquence: Ovid's "Amores" from Antiquity to Shakespeare traces the influence of the early elegiac poetry of Ovid (43 b.c.e.-17 c.e.) on European literature from 500-1600 c.e. The Amores served as a classical model for love poetry in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance and were essential to the formation of fin' Amors, or "courtly love." Medieval Latin poets, the troubadours, Dante, Petrarch, and Shakespeare were all familiar with Ovid in his various forms, and all depended greatly upon his Amores in composing their cansos, canzoniere, and sonnets.
Harmful Eloquence begins with a detailed analysis of the Amores themselves and their artistic unity. It moves on to explain the fragmentary transmission of the Amores in the "Latin Anthology" and the cohesion of the fragments into the conventions of Medieval Latin and troubadour "courtly love" poetry. Two subsequent chapters explain the use of the Amores, their narrator, and the conventions of "courtly love" in the poetry of both Dante and Petrarch. The final chapter concentrates on Shakespeare's reprocessing and parody of this material in his sonnets.
Harmful Eloquence analyzes the intertextual transmission of the Amores in major medieval and Renaissance love poetry for the first time. No previous study has devoted itself exclusively to this Ovidian text in this particular way. The premise that Ovid consciously used the device of persona from the very beginning of his writing career is fully explored, as is the "Ovidian hypothesis" of Wilibald Schroetter. Connections between Dante's La vita nuova and the Amores are newly discovered; significant for Shakespeare studies, the use of Christopher Marlowe's translation of the Amores by Shakespeare in his "dark lady" sonnets is also carefully analyzed for the first time.
Medievalists, classicists, and scholars of Renaissance studies will find Harmful Eloquence particularly engaging and useful, as will all those interested in the process and methods of literary transmission.
M. L. Stapleton is Associate Professor of English, Stephen F. Austin University.
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Harvard Concordance to Shakespeare
Marvin Spevack
Harvard University Press, 1973

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Henry IV Part 1
William Shakespeare
Arizona Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies, 2021
The two-part tale of King Henry IV, rewritten with new language for the twenty-first century.

Shakespeare’s two Henry IV plays follow the exploits of King Henry IV after usurping the crown from his cousin Richard II. Featuring some of Shakespeare’s most recognizable characters such as Prince Hal and the roguish Sir John Falstaff, Henry IV, Part 1 delves into complicated questions of loyalty and kingship on and off the battlefield. Henry IV, Part 2 follows Prince Hal as he grapples with his eventual ascent to the throne and his increasingly strained relationship with Falstaff. As the king falls sick and Hal’s ascent appears imminent, Hal’s decisions hold significant implications for all those around him. Modernizing the language of the two plays, Yvette Nolan’s translation carefully works at the seeds sown by Shakespeare—bringing to new life the characters and dramatic arcs of the original.
 
These translations of Henry IV were written as part of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s Play On! project, which commissioned new translations of thirty-nine Shakespeare plays. These translations present work from “The Bard” in language accessible to modern audiences while never losing the beauty of Shakespeare’s verse. Enlisting the talents of a diverse group of contemporary playwrights, screenwriters, and dramaturges from diverse backgrounds, this project reenvisions Shakespeare for the twenty-first century. These volumes make these works available for the first time in print—a new First Folio for a new era.
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Henry IV Part 2
William Shakespeare
Arizona Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies, 2021
The two-part tale of King Henry IV, rewritten with new language for the twenty-first century.

Shakespeare’s two Henry IV plays follow the exploits of King Henry IV after usurping the crown from his cousin Richard II. Featuring some of Shakespeare’s most recognizable characters such as Prince Hal and the roguish Sir John Falstaff, Henry IV, Part 1 delves into complicated questions of loyalty and kingship on and off the battlefield. Henry IV, Part 2 follows Prince Hal as he grapples with his eventual ascent to the throne and his increasingly strained relationship with Falstaff. As the king falls sick and Hal’s ascent appears imminent, Hal’s decisions hold significant implications for all those around him. Modernizing the language of the two plays, Yvette Nolan’s translation carefully works at the seeds sown by Shakespeare—bringing to new life the characters and dramatic arcs of the original.
 
These translations of Henry IV were written as part of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s Play On! project, which commissioned new translations of thirty-nine Shakespeare plays. These translations present work from “The Bard” in language accessible to modern audiences while never losing the beauty of Shakespeare’s verse. Enlisting the talents of a diverse group of contemporary playwrights, screenwriters, and dramaturges from diverse backgrounds, this project reenvisions Shakespeare for the twenty-first century. These volumes make these works available for the first time in print—a new First Folio for a new era.
[more]

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Henry V
William Shakespeare
Arizona Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies, 2021
Playwright Lloyd Suh reimagines the political intrigue and high drama of Henry V for twenty-first-century audiences. 

Shakespeare’s Henry V is a play about nationalism, war, and how we remember history. Known for its rousing speeches and miraculous outcomes, the play has long had a life beyond the stage and page, its themes and rhetoric common points of reference in politics. In this modern translation of Henry V, Lloyd Suh has created a new interpretation that is distinctly his own while protecting the mystery of Shakespeare’s drama. Suh’s translation focuses on the actors and the staging, channeling the theatrical nature of Shakespeare’s play for a new audience.  

This translation of Henry V was written as part of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s Play On! project, which commissioned new translations of thirty-nine Shakespeare plays. These translations present the Bard’s work in language accessible to modern audiences while never losing the beauty of Shakespeare’s verse. Enlisting the talents of a diverse group of contemporary playwrights, screenwriters, and dramaturges from diverse backgrounds, this project reenvisions Shakespeare for the twenty-first century. These volumes make these works available for the first time in print—a new First Folio for a new era.
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Henry VI, Part 1
William Shakespeare
Arizona Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies, 2021
New versions of Shakespeare’s history plays from director and translator Douglas Langworthy. 
 
In his three Henry VI plays, Shakespeare tackles the infamous Wars of the Roses and the fall of the House of Lancaster. In this translation of Henry VI, Part 1, Douglas Langworthy explores the initial unrest as a young Henry VI becomes king. Langworthy’s translation takes a deep dive into the language of Shakespeare. With a fine-tooth comb, he updates passages that are archaic and difficult to the modern ear and matches them with the syntax and lyricism of the rest of the play, essentially translating archaic Shakespeare to match contemporary Shakespeare.
 
This translation of Henry VI, Part 1 was written as part of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s Play On! project, which commissioned new translations of thirty-nine Shakespeare plays. These translations present the work of "The Bard" in language accessible to modern audiences while never losing the beauty of Shakespeare’s verse. Enlisting the talents of a diverse group of contemporary playwrights, screenwriters, and dramaturges from diverse backgrounds, this project reenvisions Shakespeare for the twenty-first century. These volumes make these works available for the first time in print—a new First Folio for a new era.
[more]

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Henry VI, Part 2
William Shakespeare
Arizona Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies, 2021
New versions of Shakespeare’s history plays from director and translator Douglas Langworthy. 
 
In his three Henry VI plays, Shakespeare tackles the infamous Wars of the Roses and the fall of the House of Lancaster. In this translation of Henry VI, Part 2, Douglas Langworthy follows the increasing tensions as the Duke of York foments rebellion against the crown. Langworthy’s translation takes a deep dive into the language of Shakespeare. With a fine-tooth comb, he updates passages that are archaic and difficult to the modern ear, and matches them with the syntax and lyricism of the rest of the play, essentially translating archaic Shakespeare to match contemporary Shakespeare.  
 
This translation of Henry VI, Part 2 was written as part of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s Play On! project, which commissioned new translations of thirty-nine Shakespeare plays. These translations present the work of "The Bard" in language accessible to modern audiences while never losing the beauty of Shakespeare’s verse. Enlisting the talents of a diverse group of contemporary playwrights, screenwriters, and dramaturges from diverse backgrounds, this project reenvisions Shakespeare for the twenty-first century. These volumes make these works available for the first time in print—a new First Folio for a new era.
[more]

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Henry VI, Part 3
William Shakespeare
Arizona Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies, 2021
New versions of Shakespeare’s history plays from director and translator Douglas Langworthy. 

In his three Henry VI plays, Shakespeare tackles the infamous Wars of the Roses and the fall of the House of Lancaster. In this translation of Henry VI, Part 3, Douglas Langworthy concludes the trilogy, tracking the final downfall of Henry VI and the rise of the House of York. Langworthy’s translation takes a deep dive into the language of Shakespeare. With a fine-tooth comb, he updates passages that are archaic and difficult to the modern ear, and matches them with the syntax and lyricism of the rest of the play, essentially translating archaic Shakespeare to match contemporary Shakespeare.  

This translation of Henry VI, Part 3 was written as part of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s Play On! project, which commissioned new translations of thirty-nine Shakespeare plays. These translations present the work of "The Bard" in language accessible to modern audiences while never losing the beauty of Shakespeare’s verse. Enlisting the talents of a diverse group of contemporary playwrights, screenwriters, and dramaturges from diverse backgrounds, this project reenvisions Shakespeare for the twenty-first century. These volumes make these works available for the first time in print—a new First Folio for a new era.
[more]

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Henry VIII
William Shakespeare
Arizona Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies, 2022
Caridad Svich offers a new take on the history play, which tells the story of Henry VIII’s marriage to Anne Boleyn.

Shakespeare’s Henry VIII is a story of a brazen race to power and the desire for an heir. Advised by Cardinal Wolsey, Henry VIII is caught between church and state as he meets Anne Boleyn and seeks to annul his marriage to Queen Katherine. This episodic and plot-driven play examines the machinations of royal power. Shakespeare’s Henry VIII, in this new translation by Caridad Svich, is a swift-moving, complex tale of intrigue.

This translation of Henry VIII was written as part of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s Play On! project, which commissioned new translations of thirty-nine Shakespeare plays. These translations present work from “The Bard” in language accessible to modern audiences while never losing the beauty of Shakespeare’s verse. Enlisting the talents of a diverse group of contemporary playwrights, screenwriters, and dramaturges from diverse backgrounds, this project reenvisions Shakespeare for the twenty-first century. These volumes make these works available for the first time in print—a new First Folio for a new era.
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Homosexual Desire in Shakespeare's England
A Cultural Poetics
Bruce R. Smith
University of Chicago Press, 1994
In the most comprehensive study yet of homosexuality in the English Renaissance, Bruce R. Smith examines and rejects the assessments of homosexual acts in moral philosophy, laws, and medical books in favor of a poetics of homosexual desire. Smith isolates six different "myths" from classical literature and discusses each in relation to a particular Renaissance literary genre and to a particular part of the social structure of early modern England. Smith's new Preface places his work in the context of the continuing controversies in gay, lesbian, and bisexual studies.

"The best single analysis of the homoerotic element in Renaissance English literature."—Keith Thomas, New York Review of Books

"Smith's lucid and subtle book offer[s] a poetics of homosexual desire. . . . Its scholarship, impressively broad and deftly deployed, aims to further a serious social purpose: the redemptive location of homosexual desire in history and the recuperation for our own time, through an understanding of its discursive embodiments, of that desire's changing imperatives and parameters."—Terence Hawkes, Times Literary Supplement

"The great strength of Bruce Smith's book is that it does not sidestep the complex challenge of engaging in the sexual politics of the present while attending to the resistant discourses and practices of Renaissance England. Homosexual Desire in Shakespeare's England demonstrates how a commitment to the present opens up our understanding of the past."—Peter Stallybrass, Shakespeare Quarterly

"A major contribution to the understanding of homosexuality in Renaissance England and by far the best and most comprehensive account yet offered of the homoeroticism that suffuses Renaissance literature."—Claude J. Summers, Journal of Homosexuality
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Humoring the Body
Emotions and the Shakespearean Stage
Gail Kern Paster
University of Chicago Press, 2004
Though modern readers no longer believe in the four humors of Galenic naturalism—blood, choler, melancholy, and phlegm—early modern thought found in these bodily fluids key to explaining human emotions and behavior. In Humoring the Body, Gail Kern Paster proposes a new way to read the emotions of the early modern stage so that contemporary readers may recover some of the historical particularity in early modern expressions of emotional self-experience.

Using notions drawn from humoral medical theory to untangle passages from important moral treatises, medical texts, natural histories, and major plays of Shakespeare and his contemporaries, Paster identifies a historical phenomenology in the language of affect by reconciling the significance of the four humors as the language of embodied emotion. She urges modern readers to resist the influence of post-Cartesian abstraction and the disembodiment of human psychology lest they miss the body-mind connection that still existed for Shakespeare and his contemporaries and constrained them to think differently about how their emotions were embodied in a premodern world.
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