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Chapter 1. Heavenly eloquence

Romeo and Juliet and linguistic conflict
  • Balz Engler
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<i>Romeo and Juliet</i> in European Culture
This chapter is in the book <i>Romeo and Juliet</i> in European Culture

Abstract

There have been several multilingual productions of Romeo and Juliet since the late 1980s, with the Capulets and the Montagues speaking two different languages, the Prince possibly a third. In this paper such productions in Belgium, Finland, Germany, Russia, Switzerland and Ukraine (and one in Canada for comparison) are discussed in view of the problems and opportunities multilingualism can create. Conflicts tend to be better motivated and harder to resolve, the philosophy of the productions tends to vary between political commitment and theatrical experiment, and language as the basis of theatrical communication is devalued.

Abstract

There have been several multilingual productions of Romeo and Juliet since the late 1980s, with the Capulets and the Montagues speaking two different languages, the Prince possibly a third. In this paper such productions in Belgium, Finland, Germany, Russia, Switzerland and Ukraine (and one in Canada for comparison) are discussed in view of the problems and opportunities multilingualism can create. Conflicts tend to be better motivated and harder to resolve, the philosophy of the productions tends to vary between political commitment and theatrical experiment, and language as the basis of theatrical communication is devalued.

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. List of contributors vii
  4. Introduction 1
  5. Chapter 1. Heavenly eloquence 25
  6. Chapter 2. Juliet’s balcony 37
  7. Chapter 3. Romeo and Juliet in Germany 61
  8. Chapter 4. Romeo and Juliet on the French stage 77
  9. Chapter 5. Romeo and Juliet in Spain 101
  10. Chapter 6. Judaisation in the first Hebrew translation of Romeo and Juliet 119
  11. Chapter 7. Giulietta e Romeo 139
  12. Chapter 8. Star-crossed lovers in Sweden 159
  13. Chapter 9. Romeo and Juliet  – The East Side Story 177
  14. Chapter 10. “Unveiling” Romeo and Juliet in Spain 197
  15. Chapter 11. Romeo and Juliet in British culture 227
  16. Chapter 12. A festival blockbuster 247
  17. Chapter 13. What’s in a stamp? 263
  18. Chapter 14. “In fair [Europe], where we lay our scene” 283
  19. Chapter 15. A selective timeline of Romeo and Juliet in European culture 301
  20. Index 321
https://doi.org/10.1075/sec.1.02eng

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. List of contributors vii
  4. Introduction 1
  5. Chapter 1. Heavenly eloquence 25
  6. Chapter 2. Juliet’s balcony 37
  7. Chapter 3. Romeo and Juliet in Germany 61
  8. Chapter 4. Romeo and Juliet on the French stage 77
  9. Chapter 5. Romeo and Juliet in Spain 101
  10. Chapter 6. Judaisation in the first Hebrew translation of Romeo and Juliet 119
  11. Chapter 7. Giulietta e Romeo 139
  12. Chapter 8. Star-crossed lovers in Sweden 159
  13. Chapter 9. Romeo and Juliet  – The East Side Story 177
  14. Chapter 10. “Unveiling” Romeo and Juliet in Spain 197
  15. Chapter 11. Romeo and Juliet in British culture 227
  16. Chapter 12. A festival blockbuster 247
  17. Chapter 13. What’s in a stamp? 263
  18. Chapter 14. “In fair [Europe], where we lay our scene” 283
  19. Chapter 15. A selective timeline of Romeo and Juliet in European culture 301
  20. Index 321
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