A proposed contemporary rewriting of Macbeth in Afrikaans for the senior secondary learner as reader

Abstract

The main purpose of this thesis has been to demonstrate that Shakespeare can indeed be a contemporary for the senior secondary learner as reader should his needs be acknowledged and accommodated in the OBE syllabus. It was crucial to investigate why Shakespeare should be read and studied and whether the need still exists to study his works. As a holistic artefact Macbeth would be easier to relate to if the reader can read the text in the register and jargon located more firmly in his framework of reference. This is the precise reason why Macbeth was rewritten into Afrikaans, keeping in mind that the play can and should be extrapolated to other languages as well. It should be reiterated that the intention with a rendition of Macbeth is not to replace the original but to provide a bridge to an eventual happy encounter with the original. In order to reach this point it was necessary to investigate the influence of textual communication due to the fact that textual aspects will influence the senior secondary learner as reader's perception of Shakespeare. Shakespearean language is quite often mentioned as the reason for not studying Shakespeare at school. But, if Shakespeare is understood in the same manner he was hundreds of years ago then the reader will be able to identify crucial issues of life and literature as well as deal with them according to the rules of society. The domain of discourse analysis is extended to include the language of complex literary texts and offers a descriptive account of the relationship between linguistic form and contemporary point of view.

After identifying the role the text plays when studying Shakespeare in the senior secondary phase the focus should shift to the reader himself. Therefore, it is an aim to be a voice interpreting the needs of the learners in question and to introduce a paradigm shift that will necessarily exclude conservative teaching methods. In this instance the primary aim will be to facilitate the understanding and enjoyment of Shakespeare for non-mother tongue learners at the senior secondary level. The next important issue to be looked at is the question of drama perspectives and the learner as reader vis-a-vis these perspectives. It can be conceded that rewriting will have a profound influence on the senior secondary learner as reader. It is of utmost importance to find a universe of discourse and investigate the role a cultural model of translation will play, especially in a South-African context. If one wants to deal with Shakespeare within the context of our present times in South Africa the influence exerted by contemporary literary and linguistic theories needs to be included. A definite correlation between Shakespeare's time and that of the senior secondary learner as reader has been identified, thus creating a solution to issues regarding the learner in question. After all these issues have been investigated, recommendations and results follow, emphasizing the definite need for further study in this regard.