Young Writers Society

We all know that Shakespeare has left a pretty significant impact on the worlds of theatre and literature, with his plays and poems continuing to be performed and published around the world, centuries after they were first written.

There are more modern forms of media, however, that Shakespeare has also influenced. As early as 1900, with the duel between Hamlet and Laertes becoming the first example of Shakespeare to be immortalised on film in Le duel d'Hamlet (see below), Shakespeare's plays have been adapted and transformed onto the silver screen.



The on-screen versions of Shakespeare's plays are sometimes direct adaptations, set in the same location and historical setting, but not always. Occasionaly the setting is brought to the modern day, but the language and characters are left mostly unchanged, such as in the Royal Shakespeare's production of Hamlet, starring David Tennant.



There are also plenty of looser adaptations of Shakespeare's plays, where the central ideas, characters, and loose plot are adapted and brought into a modern context. The Taming of the Shrew was the inspiration for 1999 film 10 Things I Hate About You, much like West Side Story is based.on Romeo amd Juliet. It's these adaptations in particular that demonstrate that beneath the language and the historical context, there's something about Shakespeare's works that makes them timeless in the ideas they portray.



So what's your favourite adaptation of one of Shakespeare's plays?

I wrote one a while back (if you look hard enough/if you remember, you'll know what I'm talking about) that I had to perform with a friend (that is floating around the internet) and it's easily one of the best things I've ever wrote. So it's my favorite because it matches my sense of humor, so I find it hilarious.

Anyways, Warm Bodies I'm pretty sure is an adaptation of Romeo and Juliet, and it's a heartwarming movie.

Mine has to be the Romeo and Juliet released in 1968 and directed by Franco Zeffirelli. It honestly doesn't get any better than that!

But I also really love West Side Story, which is a movie based on Romeo and Juliet. :3

My favorite adaptation of Romeo and Juliet would have to be Juliet , by Anne Fortier. It's a modern version of Shakespeare's famous tradegy. However, the story is set in Siena, and the main character Julie Jacobs doesn't learn until after her Aunt Rose dies that her real name is Giulietta Tolomei. The story has flashbacks from 1340, when the first Giulietta's story takes place, and has a lot more than romance to it. There's deceit, a heck of a lot of plot twists, and some really interesting characters. It was fun trying to guess when Romeo would show up, and who he was in this life. If you haven't read it before, I recommend doing so.

I actually really love the Reduced Shakespeare Company. You can find their stuff on Youtube. It's a pretty good show if you have a couple hours.

I'm currently working on Othello- The rap musical and I have high hopes on that.

My favourite is probably the BBC adaptation of "A Midsummer Night's Dream". The one adapted by Russell T Davies, specifically.