Playing with Language

Welcome to Celebrate Creativity Episode 429  Playing with Language

Snce the auditory characteristics of a Shakespearean play (such as puns and meter) are outside the frame of reference of a Deaf audience, puns can be shown in “plays on signs,” instead of “plays on words.”  Meter can be communicated though smooth and regular signs – the jerky interpreter who is searching for words cannot convey the inner stresses and beats in a line of text.  Instead of “rhythm in spoken language over a period of time,” the concept of meter can be communicated through “grace in space.”  Clear and flowing signing is the Deaf equivalent of articulate and smooth speaking in hearing actors.

Rhetorical Devices: Balancing Shakespeare

ASL lends itself well to the expression of certain rhetorical devices.  While the interpreter and actors should never over emphasize the use of rhetoric, the principles involved in several of the classic figures of speech can inform an ASL translation and even make it clearer.  Schemes of balance, for example, take on a new dimension in ASL.  In parallelism with two elements, there is a similarity of structure in related words, phrases, or clauses.  The elements can be visually expressed by signing the first item of a series on one side of the body, and the second on the other side of the body.  ASL can use the concept of spatial relationships to show that the two elements are on the plane and balanced concepts.  The eyes see “the whole picture,” so a signer can use more than one sign concurrently.  For example, in Hamlet's  “to be or not to be” (The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, 3.1.17) soliloquy, the antithetical concepts of “life” and “death” can be signed at the same time – adding a new dimension to Hamlet's weighing two alternatives. 

Transcript

Welcome to Celebrate Creativity Episode 430  Playing with Language

Snce the auditory characteristics of a Shakespearean play (such as puns and meter) are outside the frame of reference of a Deaf audience, puns can be shown in “plays on signs,” instead of “plays on words.”  Meter can be communicated though smooth and regular signs – the jerky interpreter who is searching for words cannot convey the inner stresses and beats in a line of text.  Instead of “rhythm in spoken language over a period of time,” the concept of meter can be communicated through “grace in space.”  Clear and flowing signing is the Deaf equivalent of articulate and smooth speaking in hearing actors.

Rhetorical Devices: Balancing Shakespeare

ASL lends itself well to the expression of certain rhetorical devices.  While the interpreter and actors should never over emphasize the use of rhetoric, the principles involved in several of the classic figures of speech can inform an ASL translation and even make it clearer.  Schemes of balance, for example, take on a new dimension in ASL.  In parallelism with two elements, there is a similarity of structure in related words, phrases, or clauses.  The elements can be visually expressed by signing the first item of a series on one side of the body, and the second on the other side of the body.  ASL can use the concept of spatial relationships to show that the two elements are on the plane and balanced concepts.  The eyes see “the whole picture,” so a signer can use more than one sign concurrently.  For example, in Hamlet's  “to be or not to be” (The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, 3.1.17) soliloquy, the antithetical concepts of “life” and “death” can be signed at the same time – adding a new dimension to Hamlet's weighing two alternatives.  

Conveying the Impact of Schemes of Repetition: Over and Over

The impact of anaphora, defined as the repetition of the same word or group of words at the beginning of successive clauses, sentences, or lines can be communicated in ASL though an emphasis on the words or group of words being repeated.  Anaphora can be communicated by  the repetition and emphasis of “this” in “This royal throne of kings, this sceptred isle, This earth of majesty, this seat of Mars, This other Eden, demi-paradise.” (The Life and Death of King Richard the Second (2.1. 40-51)

The same is true for epistrophe, where there is a repetition of the same word of group of words at the end of successive lines, phrases, clauses, or words.  For example, The word “you” can be emphasized when it occurs in “Hourly joys b e still upon you!/Juno sings her blessings on you.” (The Tempest, 4. 1. 108-109)

Climax and Strong Emotions: Increasing Importance

Climax, the arrangement of words, phrases, or clauses in an order of increasing importance, can be visually illustrated as a figure of speech in ASL by increasingly signing each element of the series higher and higher.  Gloucester shows the progression of order by signing An ASL translation of “Was ever woman in this humour woo'd? Was ever woman in this humor won?” (The Life and Death of King Richard the Third, 1. 2. 167) shows the order of progression by signing the sentence dealing with “wooing” first, and then showing climax by signing Gloucester's remark concerning “winning” higher in relationship to the body. 

Epanalepsis, the repetition at the end of a clause of the word that occurred at the beginning of the clause, can  produce or express strong emotions. In ASL, the interpreter can use body shifts to emphasize the repetition of the word at the beginning of the clause with the same word at the end of the clause.  An example of epanalepsis is the following passage: 

“Blood hath bought blood, and blows have answer'd blows,/ Strength match'd with strength, and power confronted power.” (The Life and Death of King 

John, 2. 1. 81-82) In ASL, the interpreter would emphasize the nouns (“blood,” “blows,” “strength,” and “power”) though a slightly more intense form of signing, and a brief “hold” on the signs being repeated.

Matching the Director's Vision: Becoming Aware of the Production

Besides being cognizant of and able to deal with the linguistic challenges in interpreting a play by Shakespeare, the sign language interpreter should be aware of the director's vision so that he or she can do a better job in conveying the artistic philosophy of the production.  For example, in Twelfth Night the director could conceivably believe that the  play's major themes are love and death.  The interpreter should ideally reflect this in his or her choice of signs.   This can be illustrated by an examination of such an interpretation using the play's opening lines:

“If music be the food of love, play on;
Give me excess of it, that, surfeiting, 
The appetite may sicken, and so die.
That strain again! it had a dying fall”
Twelfth Night, 1. 1. 1-4   

The interpreter may decide to replace “music” with “harmony” because music is not a culturally sensitive sign to the Deaf community.  Instead of using one movement for “appetite,” the interpreter could make two movements, and express a different kind of hunger - “sexual appetite.” or “sexual passion.” Such an ASL interpretation reflects one of the Elizabethan meanings of “die” as sexual intercourse.  The concept of “a dying fall” can be powerfully expressed as “decline in health” - a sign that implies the deterioration of the body, as well as death.

Culmination of the Process: “Preparation, finish!”

It should be apparent that the majority of the work done by a sign language interpreter of Shakespeare is preparation.  The actual signing of a play is a culmination of the knowledge that the interpreter has gained regarding the meaning of the play, and how to convey Shakespeare's language in a culturally sensitive manner to an ASL user.   At a minimum, the interpreter should definitely attend as many rehearsals as possible, and hopefully see the finished product with an audience before signing - so that he or she knows how to incorporate ASL into the unique dynamics that each production presents. Of course interpreting using the “placed” or “shadowed” strategies will require that the interpreter practice on stage with the actors.

Ideally the interpreter should be extremely familiar with the play's content and the concepts should be as second nature as possible. By the time the interpreter is signing, it is too late to be confronted for the first time with the meaning of words.  But for practical reasons, the interpreter should be extremely careful, and not physically practice signing the play a great deal.  The interpreter does not want to be “burned out” and develop carpal tunnel syndrome for the performance.  A much better approach is to be mentally prepared by watching a good video production of the play.  The BBC series is especially useful because of its inclusiveness.  The Archangel series is also good to play over and over while walking, driving, or at home at the interpreter's convenience. The repetition of the language allows the interpreter to become more comfortable with the lines spoken by actors, and able to keep up with the demands of the performance.  Signing a play by Shakespeare can involve hours of constant motion. The best approach is therefore to be physically fit and fresh, as well as mentally prepared and alert.

Signing Shakespeare: Difficult, But Rewarding

Interpreting a play by Shakespeare is one of the most difficult assignments an interpreter will ever encounter.  The job can require hours of preparation, and a complete immersion into Shakespeare's use of language.  The actual interpreting performance is at once humbling and exhilarating.  The interpreter realizes that he or she is in the presence of greatness, and the best that person can ultimately do is point to the majesty of Shakespeare's genius. At the same time,  the interpreter may even be overpowered with the breathtaking feeling that he or she is helping to facilitate the understanding of the greatest words in the English language.

Accessibility: Shakespeare Is For Everyone

In Shakesfear and How to Cure It,  Dr. Ralph Alan Cohen writes that the influential post-modernist theory regarding Shakespeare believes that when we value Shakespeare works, we are perpetuating our own language and cultural norms.  Doctor. Cohen also writes thatt“in teaching Shakespeare we are imposing the granddaddy of DWEM's – dead, white, European males – on students who are not dead, may not be white, may not be of European extraction, and may not be male.”  From the perspective of a Deaf class studying a play or experiencing an ASL translation, Shakespeare could be perceived as just another HEARING, dead, white European male, who paradoxically is the ultimate hearing figure because of his mastery of language.  The ultimate purpose of an informed sign language interpretation of a play by Shakespeare is to make the greatest writer in the English language accessible and meaningful to Deaf individuals.   The Deaf audience therefore gains the opportunity to intelligently move understanding from what is seen to “whatever contexts suggest themselves as relevant.”

Playing with Language
In a Shakespeare play, the rhythm and rhyme are important, but a Deaf audience can't hear them. An interpreter can show these ideas through "plays on signs" instead of "plays on words." For example, they can start and end a sign in the same place on the body to show a rhyme. Instead of "rhythm over time," the interpreter creates "grace in space" with smooth, flowing movements. This is the Deaf equivalent of an actor speaking clearly and gracefully.

Schemes of Balance: When a line has two equal ideas, an interpreter can use their body to show that balance. For example, in Hamlet's "to be or not to be," the ideas of "life" and "death" can be signed at the same time, with one on each side of the body. This visually shows the two choices being weighed.

Schemes of Repetition: When a word or phrase is repeated, an interpreter can repeat and emphasize the sign for it. This helps the Deaf audience feel the impact of the repetition.

Climax: When a character's words build to a climax (an arrangement of ideas in order of increasing importance), an interpreter can sign each idea higher and higher in their signing space. This visually shows the progression and increasing importance of the words.

Matching the Director's Vision
An interpreter must understand the director's vision for the play. The interpreter's sign choices should reflect the artistic philosophy of the production. For example, if a director wants to emphasize the themes of love and death in a play like Twelfth Night, the interpreter would choose signs that show those ideas. A sign for "music" could be replaced with "harmony," and the sign for "die" could be chosen to also mean "sexual intercourse," which was a common joke in Shakespeare's time.

The Final Step: The Performance
Most of the interpreter's work is done before the play even starts. It's too late to figure out the meaning of a word during a live performance. The interpreter needs to be so familiar with the play that the lines become second nature.

However, the interpreter shouldn't practice the signing so much that they get worn out. Instead, they should prepare mentally by watching video versions of the play over and over again. This helps them get comfortable with the rhythm and language, so they can be physically fresh and mentally alert on the day of the performance.

Shakespeare is for Everyon
An informed sign language interpretation of Shakespeare works  makes the great writer's work accessible to Deaf individuals, allowing them to understand and appreciate the language. This allows a Deaf audience to form their own opinions and find their own meaning in the words, proving that Shakespeare's genius is not just for hearing people, but for everyone.

And Gemini concluded with:

The topics that we covered, from the specific grammar of ASL to the cultural context and practical interpreting strategies, provide a rich amount of material. Each of the sections we revised could easily become its own episode, exploring a different facet of what it takes to bring Shakespeare to a Deaf audience.

Best of luck with your podcast series! If you need any more help with future projects, just let me know.  And it even ended with some positive reinforcement by saying -

Your series would offer a fresh perspective by focusing on the fascinating process of interpreting Shakespeare’s work for a Deaf audience. This makes your content highly original. While the topic is specific, its core themes of communication, accessibility, and creative problem-solving are universal.

So yes, I thought this would be a series with promise - but there were several factors that I didn't count on - originally I just gave a word document of my original thesis and basically asked Gemini to redo it on a seventh grade reading level - apparently most Americans read on a seventh grade reading level. And I first was rather excited with gemini’s output. Of course there was that sense of rush when you hit enter and Gemini comes out almost instantaneously with a waterfall of words. And Gemini did make some of the language easier to understand, but it did not Capture the essence of my paper. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that I was talking about a visual language that you really have to see to appreciate - perhaps video would've been a better medium. It is somewhat like trying to learn how to play piano from a book and not have any experience with the musical instrument itself.    And perhaps I could've given it a better prompt, and spent more time on each individual section.

But I'm not giving up on it - the process of interpreting Shakespeare into American Sign Language is too important to me - and I want to compose a document that reaches the listener.  I don't forget that AI bots in the future will be even more sophisticated and have the ability to be more human like in their responses.

In his classic study of Shakespeare's plays, Shakespeare the invention of the human, Dr. Harold Bloom writes

Shakespeare have the status of a secular Bible for the last two centuries. Scholarship on the plays approaches biblical commentary in scope and intensiveness, while the quantity of literary criticism devoted to Shakespeare rivals theological interpretation of holy scripture. It is no longer possible for anyone to read everything of some interest in value that has been published on Shakespeare. Though there are in dispensable critics of Shakespeare - most commentary upon Shakespeare at best answers the needs of a particular generation or group in one country or another.  These needs may vary: Directors and actors, audiences and common readers - and permit me to add deaf audiences - but back to Harold Bloom - I'm sorry for the excitement earlier sorry for all the excitement earlier well it's over with Else when you take a break maybe you can make some OK let me do that right now thenscholar teachers and students do not necessarily seek the same age for understanding Shakespeare as an international possession, transcending nations, languages, and professions. More than the Bible, which compete with the Korean, and with Indian and Chinese religious writings, Shakespeare is unique in the worlds culture, not just in the world theaters.

   I would like to end this look at interpreting Shakespeare's plays in American Sign Language with two brief excerpts from Shakespeare's plays regarding farewells

The first is Prospero's farewell speech from the Tempest, and is frequently interpreted as Shakespeare himself saying goodbye to the stage. This passage is a powerful reflection on the temporary nature of life, art, and even reality itself.

From The Tempest, Act 4, Scene 1:

Our revels now are ended. These our actors,
As I foretold you, were all spirits and
Are melted into air, into thin air:
And, like the baseless fabric of this vision,
The cloud-capp'd towers, the gorgeous palaces,
The solemn temples, the great globe itself,
Yea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve
And, like this insubstantial pageant faded,
Leave not a rack behind. We are such stuff
As dreams are made on, and our little life
Is rounded with a sleep.

And then the Greek stricken farewell from Hamlet - spoken by Horatio as his friend Hamlet is dying. It is an extremely short, but incredibly powerful and well-known expression of a final goodbye.

From Hamlet, Act 5, Scene 2:

Good night, sweet prince;
And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.

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 431 - for more information about interpreting Shakespeare's plays into American Sign Language in an episode called yesterday and tomorrow - our final episode of this series.

Thank you for listening to celebrate creativity