
Oregon Shakespeare Festival commissions translation of plays to modern English - daspianist
http://www.wsj.com/articles/a-facelift-for-shakespeare-1443194924
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daspianist
John McWhorter, the Columbia linguist who pinned the article, makes a
conniving argument.

However, the counterargument is that Shakespeare plays are just that - plays,
which are meant to be experienced and watched, and not read. The fact that
Shakespeare's prose are full of alliterative sound echoes and half-rhymes
means that translations to modern English will likely see nuances rid of or at
least diminished. A good band of actors can conveys Shakespeare effective
beyond just the texts: via delivery, body motions, intonation, and all of this
aids in the audience understanding and appreciating his plays.

