Studia Filologiczne UJK

Summary

This paper attempts to analyse two of Nahum Tate’s Shakespeare adaptations namely: The Sicilian Usurper (1680), the adaptation of Richard II and The History of King Lear (1681). This is done with the aim to show that Tate’s adaptations were in a twofold way shaped by the political and social matters. Firstly, as it was the requirement of the Restoration theatre, he had to subject his works to the rules of French classicism, a literary theory, which was devised to strengthen the royal power as the authority of the rules in the theatre was supposed to reflect the authority of the royal power. Secondly, Tate had to be cautious that his works were critically, socially and politically acceptable in the turbulent times of 1680s.
Therefore, the characters of Shakespearean drama became over-simplified reflections of the original heroes. Numerous scenes, language puns or literary figures were just cut out. However, everything that was removed from the plays, everything that was “unsaid” on the Restoration stage provided a rich, open to interpretation subtext of political and social anxiety in England during the reign of Charles II.