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Shakespeare slaps in Gen Z slang.

High schoolers have been studying Shakespeare plays for generations, grappling with the bard's language as they learn to appreciate his brilliance. The further we get away from Shakespearean English, though, the more challenging it is for young people to understand it, giving teachers the formidable task of helping their students relate to 400-year-old English.

What better way to prep them for it than to translate Shakespeare's storylines into their language?

That's what comedian Richard Franks did by summarizing "Romeo and Juliet" entirely in Gen Z slang, and teachers are praising him for it. Watch him leave no crumbs:



From Juliet seeing Romeo as "an absolute snack" to the Capulets and the Montagues "beefing hard" to "it's giving bruh, just check your messages" when Romeo mistakenly believes Juliet's really dead, it's modern translation perfection.

It's meant to be comedy, but it has real educational value

English teachers in the comments were thrilled to find a fun, engaging way to introduce "Romeo and Juliet" to their students:

"As an English teacher, this is going into my lesson on R&J with Year 9 next week. 💥"

"I'm humiliating year 10 with this first thing Monday morning."

"This is brilliant. I had a professor who would sit on the edge of his desk and tell us all about The Canterbury Tales. Just the major highlights, some interesting background and then say go read it. They are such hilarious raunchy tales that everyone went off, struggled through the Middle English and read it. I was an English teacher and this is how you keep them engaged. Amazing."

"I have spent 40 years working with high school in college students, editing, papers, grading papers, and this honest goodness is the best explanation of Romeo and Juliet I have ever heard. I am laughing tears.😂😂"

"As someone who has majored in Shakespeare, this is downright hilarious 🤣"


A lesson in Shakespeare, but also a lesson in Gen Z slang

People are also loving Franks' skit as much for the Gen Z slang lesson as the other way around:

"This is beyond brilliant because it works two ways: kids can understand Shakespeare, and olds can understand kids. The level of your intelligence and comedic genius is off the charts!"

"You think you're teaching Gen Z Shakespeare. But really you're teaching Gen X modern slang. Thank you for your service."

"As a 52 year young Olds, I actually finally understood some of the new young slang taken in the context of the play recap!"

"YAAASSS!!! 😂 My knowledge of Shakespeare was translating the Gen Z lingo for me 😅"

"This is the best break down of Romeo and Juliet I've ever heard...And I'm Gen X 😂."

This is not Franks' first foray into translating Shakespeare into Gen Z. He also has a Macbeth breakdown that's equally brilliant:

Arguably, that one's even more impressive as "Macbeth" is a harder plot to follow in many ways than "Romeo and Juliet."

As one commenter wrote, "This is brilliant - and beyond the humor, it is a fascinating study of language. Shakespeare as written is not really anything close to any kind of modern English at all, and even many familiar words had different meanings or usages/connotations. But the story itself, if we can manage to understand it at its core, is tragic and brilliant. Language is constantly evolving—if he were alive today, I bet Shakespeare would get an enormous kick out of this.👏👏👏"

Shakespeare probably would have loved this

Several commenters shared that they thought Shakespeare would enjoy this, and considering the way he played with language, invented words and used slang himself in his writing, they may be right. Language is ever-evolving, but few people in history have had more of a direct impact on the English language than Shakespeare. As much as English has changed since the late 1500s, there are many words widely believed to be created or first used by Shakespeare that we use regularly today, including "lonely," "rant," "obscene," "gossip" and more.

So Gen Z's distortion or invention of words to communicate is right up Shakespeare's alley. The famous poet and playwright didn't just invent words but created phrases we use today as well. "Breaking the ice" and "heart of gold" are Shakespeare's babies, so Gen Z phrases like "main character energy" are basically giving Shakespeare vibes.

From an educational standpoint, Franks' videos are great for illustrating how ideas can be expressed in various ways, even when people speak the same language, in addition to helping hook young people into Shakespeare's stories by putting the plot into terms they relate to. What a fun jumping off point for a lesson on Shakespeare, all from the mind of a comedian. Shakespeare would surely be proud.

You can follow Richard Franks on Instagram for more comedy.

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Outrage over Trumpian 'Julius Caesar' is exactly what Shakespeare tried to warn us about.

Shakespeare's 'Julius Caesar' carries an important message about democracy, perhaps more relevant than ever before.

"NYC Play Appears to Depict Assassination of Trump," read the headline of a June 11 Fox News article.

You've probably heard of the provocateur behind this show. His name: William Shakespeare. The play in question: "Julius Caesar," a 17th-century classic.

This particular performance was put on by New York's Public Theater, and as many productions of "Julius Caesar" tend to do, gave it a modern setting — showing just how wonderfully timeless Shakespeare can be. That is, togas were replaced with suits and a certain Roman emperor was replaced with a brash, blond-haired billionaire/president.


In response, hordes of angry people took to social media, chastising the show's sponsors for promoting such a distasteful and harmful display. Within hours, Delta and Bank of America had both issued statements distancing themselves from the production.

In response, Public Theater artistic director Oskar Eustis took the stage with a message for the performance's critics.

The message of the show, Eustis explained before Monday's performance, is that violence is not the answer when it comes to enacting political change.

"Anybody who watches this play tonight — and I am sorry there is going to be a couple of spoiler alerts here — will know that neither Shakespeare nor the Public Theater could possibly advocate violence as a solution to political problems."

"This play warns what happens when you try to preserve democracy by non-democratic means, and again, spoiler alert, it doesn't end up too good," Eustis told the crowd.

Eustis also directly addressed the people who were moved to anger, protest, and boycott the performance, reminding them of the context of the play's central message:

"One of the dangers of that is the danger of a large crowd of people, manipulated by their emotions, taken over by leaders who urge them to do things that not only against their interest, but destroy the very institutions that are there to serve and protect them.

This warning is a warning that's in this show, and we're really happy to be playing that story tonight."

These types of modern productions of "Julius Caesar" are pretty common — regardless of who is in office.

A few years back, The Acting Company put on a production of "Julius Caesar" starring a Barack-Obama-like version of the show's titular character.

While there may or may not have been a handful of people upset by the production, most seemed to understand that the play was not an endorsement of political violence against President Obama — just as this newest version isn't an endorsement of violence against President Donald Trump.

Just as Eustis warned: Let's all take care to avoid joining the "large crowd of people, manipulated by their emotions, taken over by leaders who urge them to do things that not only against their interest, but destroy the very institutions that are there to serve and protect them."

The theater, which even Trump has called "a safe and special place," is for all of us, regardless of our politics.

The stage is set. The actors put the final touches on their costumes and wait nervously in the wings. The audience is ushered in by an armed guard or two. It's showtime.

This is not an ordinary production of Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar."  This is Shakespeare at San Quentin State Prison.

Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images.


Since 2003, actors and staff from the Marin Shakespeare Company have taught classes at San Quentin, the state prison just a few miles away.

The company has always boasted a rich social outreach program to get Shakespeare's work out to as many people as possible. The prison population was nearby, and managing director Lesley Currie said they seemed like a logical fit for courses. So she and her team decided to give it a try.

"At first it was very poorly attended, but after a few years, we had enough men in the class to actually put on a full-length Shakespeare play in the prison chapel," Currier said in a phone interview. "And since then, it's just taken off."

LeMar Harrison (C) and Carlos Flores (R) take the stage. Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images.

After their first full-length production, interest in the classes skyrocketed. These days, Currier sometimes manages a waitlist or two.

The sessions don't just focus on Shakespeare. Through exercises and activities, they also cover conflict resolution and positive decision making.

The classes are team taught, and local actors and directors often volunteer their time too. In addition to acting, the courses include lessons in self-reflection and teamwork. With the help of drama therapy students, the classes can also go a little deeper, allowing the inmates to work on their social skills.

"In a typical two and a half hour class, we'll often spend an hour doing all kinds of different exercises that are designed to build acting skills but also designed to build human skills," Currier said.

John Windham (L) and Richie Morris (C) rehearse lines before their performance. Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images.

She often ends each class with what she calls, "group decision-making exercises." These creative assignments might ask participants to work as a team to turn lines from a play into a song and dance or a poem; or have them rewrite certain scenes, forcing characters to make a different choice.

According to Currier: "One of our students said, 'I've done a lot of conflict resolution work since I've gone to prison, but that kind of exercise is the best conflict resolution work I've ever done.'"

Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images.

But as with the bard himself said, the play's the thing.

Since the early days of the program, the participants have put on more than a dozen full-length Shakespeare plays at San Quentin. The inmate actors work for months putting each show together. Memorizing lines, building sets, and getting into character is tough work, and the actors take their roles very seriously.

Because, for them, it's not just something to do, it's a point of pride and a place for self-expression.

Azraal Ford gets ready to play Julius Caesar. Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images.

"One man said, 'I've been in prison for 12 years, I have a 12-year-old daughter, and all she's ever known about me is that I'm in prison. And today she gets to know that I'm a Shakespeare star."

The inmates' families aren't allowed into the facility to see the productions (the audience is mostly made up of other inmates), but each performance is recorded and put online so families can see their stars in action whenever they want.

Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images.

Support from the state has allowed the program to expand to two more correctional facilities too.

"Three years ago the state actually started funding arts in corrections, and we were one of the first seven organizations in the state of California to get a grant," Currier said.

The grant allowed the program to expand to inmates at Solano State Prison in Vacaville, where inmates are working on "Hamlet" and "King John." And the Folsom Women's Facility, about 25 miles east of Sacramento, where they're working on "Taming of the Shrew."

The expansion gives more inmates a chance to take advantage of this powerful program.

"When you hear the men talk about why they do it and why it's important to them [the men and the women now] it just makes you realize, just more deeply what it means to be a human being on this planet," Currier said.

Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

But the best part? It's really having a positive effect on the participants.

Programs like this are a win for everyone involved, and that's why California and other states continue to make the investment.

"Research has shown that structured arts programs improve inmates' problem-solving skills and self-discipline and increase their patience and their ability to work with others," said California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) Secretary Jeff Beard in a written statement. "These programs also direct inmates' energy in a positive direction, promote positive social interaction and lower tension levels, resulting in a safer environment for inmates and staff."

An inmate watches the performance. The audience is limited to inmates and select outside guests. Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images.

Most importantly, for the actors and their teachers, these programs can be life-changing.

"Most California state prisons have versions of 12-step programs ... and most have some kind of education program where you can get your GED or do college coursework, and those are really important," Currier said. "But the arts are really important as well. Being able to engage with other people through the arts — that's a different kind of social learning than you can get writing an essay."

Anthony Passer (L) and Maurice Reed (R) rehearse lines before the big show. Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images.

Whether it's "Hamlet," "Julius Caesar," or "Taming of the Shrew," it turns out that some of the best shows in California are behind lock and key.

They're full of heart, passion, and pride. The actors' performances transport the audience to worlds previously unimagined, even if just for a few hours. And when you're living in a restrictive environment, that's a beautiful, life-changing gift.

Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images.

That William Shakespeare is the greatest writer in the history of the English language is basically a foregone conclusion.

His work is some of the most widely read in the world and has been translated into nearly every major language (including Klingon). Over his long career, he wrote dozens of plays and poems that were as varied as they were significant.


Photo by Graeme Robertson/Getty Images.

From gloomy, bloodstained tragedies about flawed, cold-blooded kings to countless quirky comedies about zany misunderstandings, laughable romances, and madcap heroes, the work of Shakespeare is monumental.

As an ode to Shakespeare's work and to commemorate the 400th anniversary of his death, Christie's will auction off four early editions of his collected work in a landmark sale.

The first of these four folios, which contains 36 of his plays, is expected to sell for a generous U.S. $5 million.

Not the most frugal purchase. But it holds some absolutely majestic allure, even for a jaded collector.

Photo by Chris Ratcliffe/Getty Images.

Shakespeare's first folio has been hidden from public view for over 200 years and contains some of the earliest editions of his plays, 18 of which had not been previously published. Owning the first folio is basically like owning an original Picasso with a Babe Ruth rookie card taped to it.

The folios toured New York in April and are currently viewable in England (Shakespeare's birthplace), where they will be auctioned off individually.

“It is deeply moving to handle the first printed record of his collected plays and to be reminded of their tremendous impact,” said Margaret Ford, international head of books and manuscripts for Christie’s.

The other three folios will probably have less obscene price tags, but all of them are extremely marketable. The third folio even has the iconic portrait of Shakespeare done by Martin Droeshout.

Photo by Scott Barbour/Getty Images.

William Shakespeare changed the English language forever, and his contributions still matter today.

Even if you’ve never read any of his plays or sonnets, you’re still probably familiar with his work. After all, "West Side Story" is based on "Romeo and Juliet," "The Lion King" is based on "Hamlet," and late '90s/mid-'00s teen flicks "10 Things I Hate About You" and "She's the Man" are based on "Taming of the Shrew" and "Twelfth Night," respectively. See? You're a Shakespearian and didn't even know it.

For centuries, Shakespeare has also been credited with inventing or popularizing thousands of words. While there is controversy about whether he actually coined all those words or that dictionary-writers just thought his works most prominently captured the vocabulary of the time, there is no doubt he has helped pepper our culture with some delicious vocables.

Wondering which ones?

Here's a hint: I've used 21 of them in this story alone. Check them out below, along with the first text in which they appeared: