WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE : His life and works

One does not have to go to a theatre or a park to see Shakespeare inspired performances. Popular cultural adaptations, as illustrated in the above video produced by the New York Times, have been accessible for years through television, movies, and digital media.

SOURCE: The New York Times, There's no Escaping Shakespeare, published on Youtube (2016) Duration: 3:51, URL: https://youtu.be/lv4fWhObaTM

How we read someone else’s words compared with how we hear them gives space for reinterpretation and meaning making that provides life and longevity to those works. Phrasing, rhyming, emoting; poems and songs both use metaphors, figurative language, similes, word play, and a number of other rhetorical and literary devices to express and communicate.

Arguably the world’s most popular musical form, hip hop does all these things (and with a beat). Look to the The Hip-hop Shakespeare Company (THSC) in London for creative interpretations of the Bard that bring a 21st century twist to the classic works. In the U.S., The Q Brothers Collective has received commendations across the country and beyond for the hip hop stylings that shape their reimagining of Shakespeare and other theatrical productions.