Hennie C Keulder

Romeo and Juliet Hennie C Keulder

For many learners, reading Shakespeare is a bade experience that they would rather avoid. The reason for this aversion becomes clear when you make your first attempt to read the opening scene of Romeo and Juliet. By the end of the of the Prologue, the ordinary reader is already ready to throw in the towel. By the middle of the scene all hope is lost, and a permanent dislike of Shakespeare's works sets in. From that point on, the learner seeks help and consolation in aids of this sort, but then he finds that there are many to choose from. The question then is, Which one should I choose? In making his choice, he should bear in mind that this modernised version differs considerably from most of others in the following ways: the text deviates as little as possible from the original; each line of the original has a corresponding line in modern English; the modernised line is usually quite easy to understand; the entire work can be read and fully understood in one reading; as far as possible, the text also retains the poetic structure of the original. However, that this cannot always be the case is obvious to anyone familiar with Shakespeare's works. For example, in modern English it is simply impossible to reproduce the effect of the puns which Shakespeare uses in the opening scene of this play. Any attempt to do so is bound to be awkward - if not downright absurd. However, despite such obstacles, a text can be produced which is both modern and accurate in conveying the meaning of the original - and which is therefore a handy instrument to help him to instantly decipher the meaning of the original text. This book is an attempt to do so. It is an attempt to be an 'Almost Shakespeare', and it is the hope of this author that it achieves precisely that. He who is able to read and enjoy this text is but a small step away from reading and understanding the original.