Lit William Shakespeare's Star Wars

anybody else remember that website where they took a script of ANH and ran it through a translator into several different languages and then back to a really mangled form of English.

I will never forget Artoo's lines in that thing. "You play the horn you play merrily beroo." God, i wish that website wasn't defunct.

 

I have a theory that Lucas is actually serious about not having Han shoot first, because he wants it to be ambiguous like the ANH novelization.

 

then he did a pretty poor job of timing things if he wants it to be ambiguous.

 

I'm pretty sure that theory conflicts with the well established canonical fact that George Lucas is insane.

 

I never said it was a particularly good theory...

 

I finished it a little time ago and after some reflection there are three other sort-of criticisms I would make.

Firstly, they do talk a lot about the hidden heart of gold that doth beat under Han's embittered exterior. It gets a trifle wearing.

Secondly, I got the impression that particular Shakespeary words and phrasings were overused, which rather diminishes the Shakespeariness - the burbling, infinitely creative, exulting-in-the-very-joy-of-this-language feel - of the piece. As a couple of obvious examples, it's always thou, thee, thy, thine, and nary a you, ye, your, yours, or constantly referring to one another as 'good such-and-such' rather than interspersing more adjectives or simply using different modes of address. This may merely be a superficial impression not borne out by a closer reading, but that impression did nevertheless slightly - slightly, mind - reduce my enjoyment.

As to the third, I fear Doescher actually hewed a little too close to his source material. I think changing up some of the scenes so that, for example, instead of breaking up the heroes' travails with little Tarkin and Vader interludes, the villainous viewpoint is, at least in some instances, rolled into fewer, more complete scenes might have aided in, again, achieving the intended written-by-Shakespeare verisimilitude.

Now, having dispensed with all that, I would say that it was still all great fun and I look forward to seeing dramatised at least excerpts if not the whole.

More highlights:

Leia sings! And uses the word nonny in said song, bringing total mentions of nonny up to two. Frankly a little light on nonnies, but I'll take what I can get. I don't believe we had a single i'faith in over 3000 lines.

Han says pish! and heigh-ho! on different occasions. Ford, above all others, I would fain see read this.

Han's boring conversation. 'But all is well, and we are well, and all/Within are well. The pris'ners, too, are well,/'Tis well, 'tis well. And thou? Art also well?'

IV, 4, 85-9. Daww. It's nice to see R2 valuing 3PO.

The sonnet at the end was a pleasant surprise.

Missed opportunity:

Han could have told Luke to get thee to a gunnery (turret) before battling the TIE fighters.

Well, there it is.

 

I finished it today - not bad. I'd buy ESB if they do it.

 

I bought this today, they had it at work. I love it. It's like the sort of thing I might have done as a high school project. The "Shakespeare" language is a bit heavy in parts and a bit light it others, it's odd, but still a fun read. It's actually best read aloud with friends in the room. If I had more people who were into Star Wars and classical literature living nearby I'd do a dramatic reading and post it here. Ah well.

 

I got this for my birthday from my cousins. Really excited when I got it.

I want to read it aloud, but how should I do it? I'm not versed in speaking Shakespearean soliloquies and whatnot.

 

I'm trying to mimic the voices (which isn't working but is hilarious) and just read. Don't worry about whether you get the flow right or not, just read. And laugh at phrases like "you cad!"

 

Yeah, reading the thing alone silently is already gold. I wonder if anyone has noticed the book itself when the front jacket is removed. It looks like an old book from Shakespeare's era. I prefer to keep the book like this.

 

So I got the September issue of Locus Magazine in the mail today. In the 'US Forthcoming Books' section both The Empire Striketh Back and Return of the Jedi are listed under Quirk Books for a May 2014 release.

 

Oooh, nice. Here's hoping that I-III will be Shakespeare-ized too.

Return of the Jedi doesn't even get changed?

 

That's how Locus listed it. I suppose there could be a change before it's published but all I can come up with is Returneth of the Jedi and that kinda echoes the ESB title. Maybe they wanted to avoid that.

 

how would you change it, exactly? there is no good way to shakespearize that title. at all. the only thing i can think would be "the jedi returns"

 

Jedi Regain'd?

Oh shoot, that's Milton.

 

"A Most Excellent Comedy Featuring the Return of the Jedi Knight?"

 

Or, The Lamentable Tragedie of the Emperour Palpatine, Containing the Battel Fought at Endor, and the Return of the Knights Call'd Jedi ​

 

"A wise man named William Shakesman once said, brevity is the soul of wit. what that means is. Don't waste my time!" Mr Plinkett

 

TFN Article

It's verified - the sequels will be done. The Empire Striketh Back should be out at the end of March 2014 and The Jedi Doth Return in July 2014.

 

Dang, that's a while, but good news all the same that we're getting the complete IV-VI in Shakespearean form.

"The Jedi Doth Return"...yeah, that should've been a simple title to think of. Makes me wonder what kind of titles we get if the prequels will ever get the same treatment.

 

I must say I absolutely loved this book. I bought the audio book edition and it has the full cast of regular star wars narators which feels perfect for a play. It reminded me somewhat of the OT radio dramas!

 

Just for the hell of it:

What two things may drink do to a Jedi?
Why it enhances the desire to showoff the lightsaber and taketh away the performance!