by Tim Slover
First published 2022
This contemporary translation presents Shakespeare and Fletcher's collaborative final work in accessible modern language. The story follows two noble cousins whose unbreakable bond shatters when both fall desperately in love with the same woman. Their friendship transforms into bitter rivalry as each man pursues the object of his desire. Fletcher contributed musical elements and dance sequences to complement Shakespeare's dramatic structure. The play features some of the most compelling yet overlooked female characters in Shakespeare's entire body of work. Tim Slover preserves the original's romantic elements, sharp wit, and poetic language while making the text comprehensible for today's readers. His translation emerged from the Oregon Shakespeare Festival's Play On! initiative, which commissioned fresh versions of all thirty-nine Shakespeare plays. The result maintains the beauty of Shakespearean verse while removing linguistic barriers that might prevent modern audiences from engaging with the work.
Genres: drama, romance, literary-fiction, historical-fiction
Vibes: emotional, intimate, lyrical
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, forbidden-love
Period: Contemporary, Shakespearean Era
135 pages · Paperback · ACMRS Press