How to Say No

Welcome to Celebrate Creativity - Episode 429 _ How to Say No

Name Signs as Clarifiers: Which Side Is He On?

One common practice when interpreting a play is for t when mythological references are used the interpreter needs well needs to be able to be creative yes be creative add to avoid finger spelling and therefore breaking the meter the interpreter excuse me just a second here he interpreter to come up with a sign to signify a character - this is much faster - much faster - then finger spelling the name each time. And a name sign is also easier for a member of the death audience to see. Name signs can be introduced while the interpreter speaks with the Deaf audience a few minutes prior to the beginning of a play. This not only serves as a time to introduce the characters and helps the Deaf audience make the transition into Shakespeare's world, but gives the Deaf audience an opportunity to become accustomed to the signing style of the interpreter.

An interpreter should not “overload” the Deaf audience with name signs.  In many cases, a character can be referred to by their relationship or role, such as “nurse” or “servant.”  If the character is on stage, the interpreter can point to that person.  If the character is offstage, and is referred to again, the interpreter may establish a position on stage, “assign” the location to a character, and when he quickly points to that area, the audience knows that specific character is being mentioned.   Name signs can even be used to clarify relationships between characters in a Shakespearean play.  In the Blackfriars production of The Life and Death of King Richard the Third, the characters who supported the House of York had name signs on the left side of the body, while the characters who supported of the House of Lancaster  had name signs on the right side of the body.   That night, the Deaf individuals were perhaps the only people in the audience unfamiliar with English history who were easily able to follow the political intrigues of the play!  

Transcript

Welcome to Celebrate Creativity - Episode 429  How to Say No

Name Signs as Clarifiers: Which Side Is He On?

One common practice when interpreting a play is for t when mythological references are used the interpreter needs well needs to be able to be creative yes be creative add to avoid finger spelling and therefore breaking the meter the interpreter excuse me just a second here he interpreter to come up with a sign to signify a character - this is much faster - much faster - then finger spelling the name each time. And a name sign is also easier for a member of the death audience to see. Name signs can be introduced while the interpreter speaks with the Deaf audience a few minutes prior to the beginning of a play. This not only serves as a time to introduce the characters and helps the Deaf audience make the transition into Shakespeare's world, but gives the Deaf audience an opportunity to become accustomed to the signing style of the interpreter.

An interpreter should not “overload” the Deaf audience with name signs.  In many cases, a character can be referred to by their relationship or role, such as “nurse” or “servant.”  If the character is on stage, the interpreter can point to that person.  If the character is offstage, and is referred to again, the interpreter may establish a position on stage, “assign” the location to a character, and when he quickly points to that area, the audience knows that specific character is being mentioned.   Name signs can even be used to clarify relationships between characters in a Shakespearean play.  In the Blackfriars production of The Life and Death of King Richard the Third, the characters who supported the House of York had name signs on the left side of the body, while the characters who supported of the House of Lancaster  had name signs on the right side of the body.   That night, the Deaf individuals were perhaps the only people in the audience unfamiliar with English history who were easily able to follow the political intrigues of the play!  

Interpreting Mythological References: It's All Greek to Me!

During Shakespeare's time, he could safely assume that the educated portions of his audience were familiar with Greek and Roman mythology.   Isaac Asimov writes that familiarity with mythology was largely due to the scope of the classical education of the upper classes at the time  Shakespeare could also assume a knowledge regarding English history on the part of his audiences.  

Modern Americans, however, are for the most part only vaguely aware of Greek and Roman mythology, and English history. Today, directors frequently cut extended mythological references and complicated names from the final versions of plays – much to the relief of the sign language interpreter!  ASL has a formal sign for God but this sign referars†acters without fingerspelling is somewhat easier because the interpreter can use name signs for major characters, or point to the character to make an ASL referent for characters who do not have a name sign.  The relationship of the named character to the speaker can also be used to avoid fingerspelling.  An example is “cousin” for “Bolingbroke” for the hero of  The Life and Death of King Richard the Second or “my dog” by Lance when he refers to Crab in The Two Gentlemen of  F.

ASL has a formal sign for “God,” but this sign refers to the Judeo-Christian deity, and would not be accurate when referring to mythological gods. When mythological references are used, the interpreter needs to be creative to avoid fingerspelling and thereby breaking the meter.  The interpreter can look up with non-manual components that signify he or she is referencing a spiritual being, and sign the major function of the deity. For example,  In lines 5-6 of the Act 1 Prologue to The Life of King Henry V, the Chorus refers to  “then should the warlike Harry,  like himself, Assume the port of Mars.”  The interpreter can avoid fingerspelling “Mars” by looking up as though he or she were looking up at a deity, and signing “war” to convey the concept of “god of war.”  Of course, if the reference is to a “god of the underworld,” the interpreter would look down!

The Signing Space: Not a Body of Literature, But a Literature of the Body

In American Sign Language, the interpreter has a “signing space” from mid-torso to approximately six inches above the head where he or she creates a visual world that shows the physical relationships between characters and objects.  The interpreter may also establish locations in relationship to his or her body, and reference those places just by pointing at them.  For example, when Benedick refers to an “arbor” (Much Ado About Nothing, 2. 3. 38) that tree or forest may or may not be on stage, the interpreter signs “forest” and points to a specific part of the stage.  Until the scene changes to another location, the Deaf audience realizes that area will be the arbor. 

Spatialization: Just Look in My Direction

In a similar way, the interpreter can using the concept of spatialization in ASL to “set up” an object on stage that is clearly not present, and reference the object by looking at the area.  When Falstaff says, “Being thus crammed in the basket” (The Merry Wives of Windsor, 3, 5, 64), an ASL translater could establish the position of the basket on stage by placing a visual handshape in front of the body.  Then every time that Falstaff looks at the area, the Deaf audience knows that he is referring to his travails with the basket!   

Signs in Space: Producing Linguistic Meaning

Spoken language uses distinct verbal units arranged in time. In contrast, American Sign Language can make full use of the dimensions of space to produce linguistically meaningful movements with semantic significance.  ASL uses areas of the signer's body to convey pronouns in a process called “indexing.”  This process in not necessary in verbs that have a directional component such as “give.”

First-Person Pronouns: When “I” and “Me” Are the Same

For a first-person reference, the index finger moves inward to point at the signer.  The word “I” in “May I be so converted” (Much Ado About Nothing, Act 2, 3, 24) and “me” in “He hath disgraced me” (The Merchant of Venice,  3, 1, 51) are signed the same.  The signer can therefore convey the first-person pronoun by directly pointing without any additional information. 

Second-Person Pronouns: Showing “You” and “Thee” 

In modern-day conversational ASL, the index finger moves directly forward to sign the second-person pronoun.  But an informed translation of a Shakespearean play can use different forms of “you” to express formal and informal forms of address. During Shakespeare's time, “you” was the more respectful choice, and ASL reflects this by using the honorific or respectful “you” when servants address their masters, and when a lower class character speaks to the aristocracy. (McDonald, 21)  The movement of the honorific pronoun for “you” can point with the open palm and move down the body line of the person being referenced.  In this sense, the further the honorific pronoun is lowered (often with the interpreter's eyes and head following the movement in a kind of bow), the more honor given that person. (Baker, 207)

In The Life of King Henry the Eighth, deference to an individual of higher status can be shown with  the honorific sign in ASL for “you” in the first secretary's line of “Here, so please you.” (11.131) to Cardinal Wolsey.

Since ASL is conceptually based, “thee” is signed using the modern-day ASL sign for “you.”  Othello naturally uses the familiar form of “you” when he speaks to Desdemona, with “That handkerchief which I so loved and gave thee/Thou gavest to Cassio. (Othello, The Moore of Venice, 5.2.86)   An interpreter can remember the difference by remembering that when he or she hears “thee,” the interpreter should sign the modern-day sign for “you.” - the form of “you” that the interpreter is most accustomed to signing.

 When the interpreter hears “you,” he or she should sign the honorific “you.”     Third-Person Singular – No Difference Between  “He,” “She,” and “It”Unlike English, which uses three different pronouns to express gender of the third-person singular, ASL makes no linguistic distinction in its base signs for gender. “He” in “And then he falls,” (The Life of King Henry the Eighth, 3. 2.437), “she” in “she died at night' (Pericles, Prince of Tyre, 4. 3. 16) and “it,” in “I, having been acquainted with the smell before, knew it was Crab” (The Two Gentlemen of Verona, 4. 4. 25) are signed identically.  Gender differences are shown by signing “man” or “woman.”

Pluralization: Signing the “Group”

ASL pluralizes words in several ways.  As mentioned earlier, there are no “s” or “es” suffixes, so the sign “group” after the noun is one way of communicating plurality. The identification of emotional pain expressed in “Pang” in “The pangs of despised love” (The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, 3. 1.87) becomes plural in ASL by signing “pang” and “group.”  Note that the sign for “group” is signed in front of the head using the ASL principal of locality to emphasize mental activity in this context.  Another example of a singular sign made plural by a plural sign is “summer” in  “This many summers” (The Life of King Henry the Eighth,  3, 2, 438.)  “Summer” is signed, and “many” makes it plural. In “so many dishes” (Much Ado About Nothing, 2. 3. 25), the concept of “many strange dishes” is interpreted as “food many strange.”

More Pluralization: Repeating the Sign

Another method of pluralization in ASL is sign reduplication.  With this interpreting strategy, the interpreter repeats the verb or noun to convey the idea of plurality.  “Year” becomes plural in “Turning the accomplishment of many years” (The Life of King Henry the Fifth, 1.Prologue. 17) by repeating the sign several times. The ASL sign for “year” has iconic elements because the sign represents the movement of a heavenly body around another celestial element.

Referencing: Showing Plurality Without Showing Plurality

ASL does not specifically show plurality in such text as “two mighty monarchies.” (The Life of King Henry the Fifth, 1. Prologue. 17) The interpreter signs “England” on one side and “France” on the other side, and then shifts his or her body to the middle and signs “strong,” showing a clear divide between the two countries and implying a strong nationalistic feeling by both countries. This ASL construction further sets the scene for the next two lines dealing with the coast between the countries, and “perilous narrow ocean parts asunder” (The Life of King Henry the Fifth, 1. Prologue.19)  After signs for “England” and “France” have been established in space, all the interpreter needs to do is turn to that specific area, and the Deaf audience knows a reference is being made to that specific country. Spatial Indexing explores the practical advantages of using space to refer to persons, objects, or locations, with emphasis on spatial indexing and classifiers to convey various rhetorical devices used by Shakespeare.

Interpreting a Foreign Language: What's an Interpreter To Do?

Interpreting content from a foreign language in a Shakespearean play can be problematical for the interpreter. Some interpreters would argue that if hearing students do not have access to the translated words in a play, the Deaf patrons should also not have access to the translated words. 
But I personally believe that the interpreter should sign a translation for a character speaking in a foreign language.  For example, during Katherine's lines in The Life of King Henry the Fifth, the interpreter can quickly sign “French language' to signify to the Deaf audience that the character will be speaking French., and then sign an English translation. This does leave some room for creativity on the part of the interpreter.  For example, a character using  a foreign language might use a word that can be easily understood such as Katherine's “den.” The interpreter can maintain the impact of Shakespeare's language intent by signing an affected variation of the sign for “then.”

Interpreting Accents: Outside the Frame of Reference?

Interpreting accents in a play by Shakespeare is one of the biggest challenges facing an interpreter.  Unless the Deaf person has heard spoken language before, the concept of accents reflecting different vocal patterns and localities are outside the frame of reference for most Deaf persons.   A good analogy would be a sighted person trying to explain color to a totally     person who has never seen before.  When interpreting for a character such as Fluellen with his Welsh accent in The Life of King Henry the Fifth, the interpreter would communicate more by briefly mentioning that the character’s voice sounds “different” because of his birthplace, and emphasize the character’s personality characteristics. The industrious interpreter can network with interpreters at Gallaudet University or use the Internet to learn about such esoteric subjects as Olde Welsh Sign Language, but realistically this is not a good use of preparation time.

Embedded Stage Directions: Shakespeare Helping the Interpreter!

Throughout his plays, Shakespeare often writes lines that tell the actor how to perform his lines and imply specific actions  (“directing from beyond the grave.”)  These cues embedded in the text are also helpful to the ASL interpreter as he or she decides how to form or position a specific sign.

In a sectioned earlier in this paper  beginning with “Is this a dagger which I see before me, The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee.” (Macbeth, 2.1.45-48), the text first suggests that the object is in front of the signer. The interpreter can convey the information by adding a classifier for “dagger,” looking at the “handle,” glancing at his hand, and miming reaching out to grab the dagger.” This is another excellent example of the economy of movement in ASL because  6 movements convey 19 spoken words without leaving out any of the information.

Name Signs: A Shortcut to Identity
Let me go back to say a few more words about name signs.  Now remember that Name signs are a special kind of sign used to refer to a person. While fingerspelling a name is more precise, it can be slow and awkward during a play. Using a name sign helps keep the rhythm and flow of the performance - may be a comparison would be a ballet dancer who stops moving gracefully and starts tap dancing.

Before a play starts, an interpreter should introduce the name signs they will use for the main characters. Name signs can be descriptive, meaning they refer to a unique trait of the character. For example, the character Falstaff, who has a big belly, could be referred to with an "F" handshape that mimes a round belly.

To avoid confusing the audience, an interpreter shouldn't create too many name signs. It's often easier to refer to a character by their role (like "nurse") or to simply point to them if they are on stage. If a character is offstage, the interpreter can set up a location in the signing space and point to it whenever that character is mentioned.

Mythological References: More Than Just a Name
Shakespeare's audience, especially the wealthy, was very familiar with Greek and Roman mythology. Today, most people are not, so directors often cut these references from plays. This is a relief for interpreters!

When mythological references are included, the interpreter needs to be creative to avoid fingerspelling the god's name. Instead, the interpreter can look up, as if at a spiritual being, and sign what the god is known for. For example, instead of fingerspelling "Mars," an interpreter could sign "god of war." If it was a god of the underworld, the interpreter would look down. This makes the reference clear without breaking the rhythm of the play.

The Signing Space: A Stage of Its Own
The area where an interpreter signs is called the signing space. This space, which goes from the middle of the torso to just above the head, is where the interpreter creates a visual world. They can set up locations and objects in this space and then refer to them just by pointing.

This is called spatialization. For example, if a character mentions a basket, the interpreter can set up the location of the basket in their signing space. From then on, every time the character looks at that area, the Deaf audience knows they are thinking about the basket.

Pronouns in ASL
ASL has its own way of handling pronouns.

First-person pronouns (like "I" and "me") are both signed the same way: by pointing to oneself with the index finger.

Second-person pronouns (like "you" and "thee") are more complex. Shakespeare's plays used "you" as a sign of respect and "thee" for more familiar talk. An interpreter can show this difference by using a modern sign for "you" for familiar talk, and a more formal, respectful sign for "you" that involves a slight bow. This helps the audience understand the social status of the characters.

Third-person singular pronouns (like "he," "she," and "it") are all signed the same way in ASL. The interpreter would need to add the sign for "man" or "woman" to show gender if it's important.

Pluralization: How to Show "More Than One"
ASL has a few ways to make a word plural, since it doesn't use the letter "s" or "es."
Adding "Group" or "Many": The sign for "group" or "many" can be added after a noun to make it plural. For example, "summer" can be made plural by signing "summer" and then "many."

Repeating the Sign: A sign can be repeated to show that there is more than one of something. For example, the sign for "year" can be repeated several times to mean "many years."

Using Spatialization: An interpreter can use the signing space to show plurality without needing an extra sign. When a character mentions "two mighty monarchies," the interpreter can set up each country in a different part of the signing space and refer each country them from there. This makes it visually clear that there are two separate groups.

Foreign Languages and Accents
When a character speaks a foreign language in a play, an interpreter should sign the English translation. They can start by quickly signing "French language" to let the Deaf audience know what's happening.

Interpreting accents is one of the biggest challenges an interpreting a play. Since most Deaf people can't hear, they don't have a frame of reference for what a Welsh accent sounds like. Instead of trying to imitate the sound, an interpreter would mention that the character's voice sounds "different" because of where they are from, and then focus on signing the character's personality. This helps the audience understand the character's unique traits. Well I think I better stop there.

Sources Include:  Asimov's Guide to Shakespeare: A Guide to Understanding and Enjoying the Works of Shakespeare by Isaac Asimov, American Sign Language: A Teacher's Resource Text on Grammar and Culture by Charlotte Baker and Dennis Cokely, Shakespeare: The Invention of the Human by Harold Bloom, and Shakesfear and How to Cure It, an unpublished manuscript by Ralph Cohen.

Join celebrate creativity for episode 440 - playing with language - for the next to the last episode in this series regarding signing a Shakespearean play an American Sign Language.

Thank you for listening to celebrate creativity.