DIGITAL NARRATIVES AND READER PARTICIPATION IN THE SHAKESPEARE RETOLD YOUTUBE SERIES

Abstract

This paper discusses how the digital versions of Shakespeare plays and the presence of the audience in the Shakespeare ReTold YouTube series influenced the rewriting of Shakespeare and the phenomenon of rewriting Shakespeare by adapting them to the current time. The series offers a fascinating source where research on how the digital platforms enable the audiences to read classic texts and reconceptualize them in a new context is carried. This study discusses the mechanisms of reader participation and its role in redefining the works of Shakespeare through the selection of some episodes in the series under analysis. The study will be integrating both methodological approaches of close reading of the material and discourse analysis in order to grasp the interactive dimension of the viewer. The major discoveries include the fact that Shakespeare ReTold can be regarded as an element that bridges the gap between the established literary practice and online consumers and audiences and that it provides dimensions into how viewer feedback can be used to enhance the interaction with the content in question. The work of this study fits into the bigger discussion regarding the contact between digital media and classic literary work and audience agency in the modern culture.