I’d like to share a link that was so kindly shared with me. The website is for“The Inessential Shakespeare”, a project to reword Shakespeare’s plays into simpler, more modern English for the purpose of introducing youngsters to it.
“Translating” Shakespeare is, as you may remember, a topic that I have mixed feelings about. However, I cannot easily deny the merits it has in certain situations. Shortened Shakespeare is an excellent way to introduce the stories to youngsters. The 3rd grade play can easily be a simplified Midsummer Night’s Dream.
This version of the text isn’t vastly different from some other shortened texts I’ve seen but it is kept nicely concise and simple, it does away with many obscure references that other editors decide to leave in for some odd reason.
For those of you who work with or have kids of your own, this is for you. Look it over and give me your thoughts. Also, from your experiences, what makes a good kids version of Shakespeare in your opinion?