I think Shakespeare is translated as precisely and poetically as possible. He was translated by different authors, the most famous is Pasternak’s translation. As to why Shakespeare is popular among Russians I don’t think I have the right answer. It is a very exciting read, passionate, poetically superb, and it deals with the most important questions we sooner or later ask ourselves whether we want it or not.
Yes, I think our Russian translations are very good, they were made by the real Russian writers and in a classic Russian language. That’s why to read Shakespeare in Russian is much more easier than for the Englishmen to read him in English.
And it’s also importqant that we have to read 2 works of Shakespeare at school (Hamlet and Romeo and Julette) - and after that some students (like me for example), attracted by Shakespeare poetic language, start to read some more Shakesperare plays and Sonets.
I get the impression that most people simply don’t like it. Then there are some people who (pretend to) like Shakespeare because that makes them seem more “cultured”.
Some people seem to enjoy reading Shakespeare…but they’re probably not numerous and probably don’t go to college anymore.
“greatest author of their country and don’t feel a bit sorry for that”
He’s well-known. Whether he’s “the greatest” or not is a matter of opinion.
And why does nationality even matter?
I don’t feel like reading Nietzsche or Goethe just because they’re German.
Blasphemy!
If you don’t feel like noone can make you. But it’s strange that you don’t feel any kind of connection with the authors you’ve mentioned. You share the same culture and language and in these terms nationality is important.
I just think that content matters much more than the nationality or popularity of the author.
Interesting post. In the United States, Shakespeare is assigned reading in high school. I’m sure it is in England too. However, there are several factors at work I think:
- As someone mentioned, plays are meant to be performed, not read.
- The language is more difficult because lot of old words and metaphors were used.
- Plays are harder for younger people to understand because they deal with more “adult” themes.
- Russians are a particularly literary people. They shut down streets for Pushkin’s birthday. They would never do that for ANY author in the Anglosphere.
There is no arguing with that.
Literary education here totally depends on the state, the city, and even the part of the city where the school is located. I went to high school in a rural part of North Carolina. When we finally got to the “British literature” unit in 12th grade, we read the cliffnotes “No Fear Shakespeare” and watched that horrible Leonardo DiCaprio movie. Now that I attend a (relatively) high ranked university, I meet people who got to attend really great schools in wealthy suburbs of mostly Boston and New York. These kids at a mininum got through Hamlet, Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Romeo and Juliet, as well as some sonnets, it seems.
I’m having a bit of a laughing fit here. Yes, yes, let’s watch Leonardo DiCaprio movies to educate our youth. Silly.
Derek Jacobi did the best hamlet in my opinion
Reading Shakespeare might be hard but this site might help if you want to read Shakespeare’s plays. Spark notes is a study guide that helps people with classic literature. They have detailed analyses of many of the great works of literature and all kind of other stuff. There is a section called no fear where you get the original text (of ex. Hamlet) and on the other side the same text translated to up to date English. There are also a few others non Shakespeare books available with “no fear translation”.
By the way, whenever I read your name, for a split second, I always think it says killgermans.
Same here^^
Funny. Hopefully, you don’t imply anything