Style and Format
The original English version of the play appears alongside its "original Klingon" translation. The "original Klingon" version has been adapted to reflect the play's history as originating from a Klingon source. Reference sections in the book show some literal translations of the Klingon body text.
According to a disclaimer, the project is written in a satirical style implied by Chancellor Gorkon's quote — that Shakespeare was actually a Klingon (named "Wil'yum Shek'sper") writing about the attempted coup of the Klingon empire. This is implied because the plot is based on predominantly Klingon themes and motifs as opposed to human themes and motifs, which were considered too primitive in comparison to the story of Hamlet during the time period in which it is set. The book also claims the notion that Shakespeare was a human poet during the late 16th century occurred after the United Federation of Planets instigated a large propaganda campaign in order to rally the human population against Klingons.
Read more about this topic: The Klingon Hamlet
Famous quotes containing the words style and and/or style:
“The flattering, if arbitrary, label, First Lady of the Theatre, takes its toll. The demands are great, not only in energy but eventually in dramatic focus. It is difficult, if not impossible, for a star to occupy an inch of space without bursting seams, cramping everyone else’s style and unbalancing a play. No matter how self-effacing a famous player may be, he makes an entrance as a casual neighbor and the audience interest shifts to the house next door.”
—Helen Hayes (1900–1993)
“Compare the history of the novel to that of rock ‘n’ roll. Both started out a minority taste, became a mass taste, and then splintered into several subgenres. Both have been the typical cultural expressions of classes and epochs. Both started out aggressively fighting for their share of attention, novels attacking the drama, the tract, and the poem, rock attacking jazz and pop and rolling over classical music.”
—W. T. Lhamon, U.S. educator, critic. “Material Differences,” Deliberate Speed: The Origins of a Cultural Style in the American 1950s, Smithsonian (1990)