Hamlet

To thine own text be trueLisa Petersons translation of Hamlet into contemporary American English makes the play accessible to new audiences while keeping the soul of Shakespeares writing intact. 
 
Lovers of Shakespeares language take heart: Lisa Petersons 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. Petersons 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 Festivals 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 Shakespeares 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 printa new First Folio for a new era. See more