I was recently reading and enjoying this thread on another forum, playfully imagining how Star Wars dialogue might have sounded if Shakespeare had written it. Then, near the end of that thread someone posted a link to the book William Shakespeare's Star Wars on Amazon. I really had a fun time reading some of the preview that Amazon has online; even R2D2's beeps are in iambic pentameter. I just thought I would share the links.
I read it back in the summer. It's okay and provided a few good laughs, but the joke wears thin about half way through.
Agreed with this, totally. What I found more enjoyable was the Study Guide that Quirk posted on their website. As an attempt at a "lost" Shakespearean play, it's adequate at best. I'll actually defend William Henry Ireland's two forged plays, "Vortigern and Rowena" and the little-known "Henry II" as more authentic. And Arthur Phillips' The Tragedie of Arthur, which was published a few years ago, is a very good attempt indeed. Maybe the difference is that those were serious attempts, while Verily, A New Hope is a joke.
I think the real treat is listening to the audible version where it really comes alive. I've read that the second installment which I believe is to be called William Shakespeare's The Empire Striketh Back is supposed to be released this coming March followed by a summer release for William Shakespeare's The Jedi Doth Return.
Robin Williams' mash-up of Hamlet and Three Mile Island had its appeal. It was a track on Reality ... What a Concept.
In a similar vein, there is "Two Gentlemen of Lebowski", which is an adaptation of "The Big Lebowski" done Shakespere style. I think that there is also a "Terminator" adaptation done similarly. ETA: Nope, I was wrong. It's an adaptation of Terminator 2.