Poland and Shakespeare

Hi Everybody- I am doing some research into Shakespeare in Polish culture/education. Can I ask the following questions:

1. What experience of Shakespeare did you have whilst doing the Szkola Srednia?- if so which play(s)
2. What did you think of his (Shakespeares work?)
3. How were you taught it (reading or acting through)
4. Did you ever do a performance of his work?
5. Did you watch Roman Polanski's 'Macbeth' -if so, reactions
6. What do think are the differences are in how Shakespeare is received in Poland to other countries
7. Is Shakespeare relevant to Polish students? If so in what way?

Many Thanks

Please don't feel you have to answer all questions. Any response will help me in my research.

Thanks Again

And the most important question:

0) Are you Polish?

Makbet
Hamlet


Language is relatively easy, quite nice to read, but Shakespeares works still aren't my fav literature


reading


no.


no.


I have no idea.


Shakespeare's plays has a status one od the most important for european culture masterpieces, influeancial archetypes.

Hi

No I'm English, but have been working in Kielce working with a group of 18 year old Polish students, directing them in a drama project of Makbet.

Hope this helps

Oh I am sorry Feste. I meant people who would answer your questions.
There is only a few Polish on this forum, you know.

enkidu has meant that here are just little polish ppl on this forum ;)
Most of them are ppl in middle age.

One more thing. In Poland among students its popular to read synopsis instead of whole book (although they are obligated to read whole book) so don't be suprised if it happens that no one from your students has read full drama ;)


Or maybe I rather should say its quite easy to comprehend (like for a XVI cent. piece). I'm not sure is it easy to recite...

Ok, I have just refresh my Shakesprear knowledge and look into Makbet on wikiźródła (wikisource). Language is horrible! I don't know why I've remembered it as easy. No its not easy (either to comprehend and pronounce) and your students will barely struggle to pronounce a sentence... I will cross my fingers for you and your students to make it ;)

PS
If you need a polish version of Makbeth, here you are:
pl.wikisource.org/wiki/Makbet

other plays:
pl.wikisource.org/wiki/Autor:William_Shakespeare

Hi Zetigrek

The students spoke Makbet in Polish. They all speak English as it is taught as a second language. Do you mean that they struggle to speak the verse in Polish?

Feste

yes exactly as I'm struggling it right now! ;)

(but maybe its a matter of a translator - there were few of them)

So the play would be perforemed in English? And which play exactly will they performe?

They have done it. The Poles performed makbet in Polish and I took a group of students from England and they performed in English at the Bishop's Palace in Kielce- very beautiful experience. You must keep going with Makbet, it is truly a great play

Feste

Feste


I thought at first it was extraordinary, not for students from "szkoła średnia".

I liked Mackbeth but an interpretation for me seemed to be too difficult then.
It was like touching an unbelievable, misterious story which forces imagination to act a role in a play that started to exist somewhere inside people's heads.

I remember moments form lessons of Polish language when Macbeth was readed (not played) and was trying to be interpreted by us.
I felt like a viewer of secret play that engaged interior senses. I remember a plot a bit, personas of a tragedy, scary bloody sceneries... although it was weird because the main difficult thing about it was to find words to name what were we thinking or felt about it.

It was a great adventure, but unfinished, that leaved a feeling of being in almost perfect world of imagination that had to involve everybody in my class.

A strange but exciting experience.

:)

zetigrek


No, it's a matter of Shakespeare being written in Middle English.

1. What experience of Shakespeare did you have whilst doing the Szkola Srednia?- if so which play(s)
In szkola srednia: Macbeth, Hamlet, some comedy (I don't remember which one), a few sonnets.

2. What did you think of his (Shakespeares work?)

Macbeth and Hamlet are just fine. A few sonnets are readable. His comedies are ridiculous rather than funny. For me, his great contemporary, strangely nearly unknown to most, produced literature on a higher, and generally more sophisticated level.

3. How were you taught it (reading or acting through)
Reading

4. Did you ever do a performance of his work?
No

5. Did you watch Roman Polanski's 'Macbeth' -if so, reactions
Yes.
It left a a lasting impression. I still consider it one of the best interpretations of the play.

6. What do think are the differences are in how Shakespeare is received in Poland to other countries
Literature vs. cult.

7. Is Shakespeare relevant to Polish students? If so in what way?
I think its a silly question. Any author whose work is still worthwhile after a few centuries is relevant to ALL, in ways similar to those why some ancient Greek works are still relevant to Polish and British students, or the Bible is still relevant to atheists.

As for the translations, I think Maciej Slomczynski's translations are masterpieces themselves.

Its strange to see this topic.

Please would you like to let me know that what is the relation between Poland and Shakespeare, because polish culture and language is different from English.

So what?

not sure of that. its our common european culture not only english.

Since I have a coffee break ;-) ... :

1. What experience of Shakespeare did you have whilst doing the Szkola Srednia?- if so which play(s)

As of books, from obligatory stuff, Hamlet and Macbeth. Besides of that some theater plays in TV (it was something like that in Poland till public TV were really public...), the best from that was "The Taming of The Shrew" with Gajos.

Post school I've read "A Midsummer Night's Dream" in English more like an language practise though.

PS. I've build countless Sheakspear Theaters in Civ 1, but I don't think it counts ;-)

2. What did you think of his (Shakespeares work?)
Typical cliche: great writer with great insight into human nature and entertainer at the same time.

3. How were you taught it (reading or acting through)
Reading and discussing it (I really didn't liked Hamlet guy, he was such a p...y ...)

4. Did you ever do a performance of his work?
Nope.

5. Did you watch Roman Polanski's 'Macbeth' -if so, reactions
Nope, but I've watched among others Kurosawa's "Throne of Blood" based on Macbeth, highely recomended. Not so long ago I've seen Macbeth made by "SONG OF THE GOAT THEATRE" in old English, well... I didn't understand much of what they were chanting...

6. What do you think are the differences in how Shakespeare is received in Poland to other countries.
No idea, I've never had a chance to talk with foreigners about Shakespeare...

7. Is Shakespeare relevant to Polish students? If so in what way?

Don't know about others, but I simply enjoyed his work, nothing less not much more...
And from more practical perspective if I recall it correctly it was never a bad idea to put some quotation from Shakespeare in school essays ;-)

Thanks to you all for answering my questions. You have given me plenty to think about. i am especially interested in makbet, and how you were taught it. It seems from your answers that it was used in Polish language classess. is that correct?

Thanks Again

Feste

Yeah -Shakespeare - it was screen name of that guy ...what his name, again ?

Shakespeare.

yes the subject is called polish language (język polski) but in fact its literature (polish and world) + basic knowledge about polish language and how to use it in proper way ;)

Shakespeare turned out not to be about a specific language or a particular nation. Love, hate, jealousy and a host of other human traits he wrote about are not unique to England, are they?

Just in case you missed the point of the so called great literature.

no its his screen name ...

saif555

Yes. I agree.

The essence of Shakespeare is his contribution to modern English language. Yes the plays have a universal theme but ..."it's the literature". To properly understand the literature you have to master the English language. Many native speakers have a hard time with Shakespeare.