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The Shakespeare Conference: SHK 16.1938  Wednesday, 23 November 2005

[1] 	From: 	Jack Lynch <jlynch@andromeda.rutgers.edu>
	Date: 	Tuesday, 22 Nov 2005 13:12:28 -0500 (EST)
	Subj: 	Re: SHK 16.1928 Modern Bowdlerizations

[2] 	From: 	Megan Isaac <MeganLIsaac@aol.com>
	Date: 	Tuesday, 22 Nov 2005 15:46:54 EST
	Subj: 	Re: SHK 16.1913 Modern Bowdlerizations


[1]-----------------------------------------------------------------
From: 		Jack Lynch <jlynch@andromeda.rutgers.edu>
Date: 		Tuesday, 22 Nov 2005 13:12:28 -0500 (EST)
Subject: 16.1928 Modern Bowdlerizations
Comment: 	Re: SHK 16.1928 Modern Bowdlerizations

Richard Burt asks, about my request for bowdlerized texts of Shakespeare:

     [How] far back do you want to go?

"Going back" is comparatively easy-not only to _The Family Shakespeare_ 
by the Bowdlers themselves, but to many of the stage versions of the 
plays from the Restoration through the nineteenth century, where cutting 
naughtiness was common.

But more or less contemporary editions of the plays, things that might 
still be read by students today, are harder to track down.  That's what 
I'm keen to find.  Back to the 1960s or '70s, maybe?
Anything from the last ten years or so would be golden.

[2]-------------------------------------------------------------
From: 		Megan Isaac <MeganLIsaac@aol.com>
Date: 		Tuesday, 22 Nov 2005 15:46:54 EST
Subject: 16.1913 Modern Bowdlerizations
Comment: 	Re: SHK 16.1913 Modern Bowdlerizations

How exactly do you define "bowdlerization"?  Is it a bowdlerization if 
the adaptor has made changes to emphasize an interpretation or to 
reshape the text for modern eyes?  Or is it only a bowdlerization if the 
changes have been made to protect audiences from material deemed 
inappropriate?  Of course, the line between one and another can be hard 
to discern.  I ask these questions thinking of Adam McKeown's new 
adaptation of OTHELLO (2005, Sterling Publishing Co.) for younger 
readers which removes all references to the title character's race.  He 
claims to have done this in order to emphasize his foreignness. 
Interestingly, the illustrator still portrays Othello as a man of 
African descent-so I'm at a loss as to what the textual changes are 
supposed to accomplish.

Megan Isaac

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