Romeo and Juliet: Multiple Endings – A Comparative Study of Four Translations According to Lance Hewson’s Approach

Abstract

This article presents a comparative study of four translations of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet produced during three major phases in the history of Arab theatre in general, and of Lebanese theatre in Lebanon and Egypt in particular. It focuses on the diversity of the endings chosen by the translators, which vary according to the sociocultural context of each period as well as the way both audiences and theatre practitioners have perceived the role of theatre. The article reports the results of a comprehensive analysis that is not limited to the endings and that follows Hewson’s approach to translation criticism. The study ultimately classifies three translations as adaptations and one as an instance of relative divergence. Notably, this latter translation belongs to the intermediate period, situated between the earliest translations and the most recent one.