Oregon Shakespeare Festival commissions translation of plays to modern English

John McWhorter, the Columbia linguist who pinned the article, makes a conniving argument.

However, the counterargument is that Shakespeare plays are just that - plays, which are meant to be experienced and watched, and not read. The fact that Shakespeare's prose are full of alliterative sound echoes and half-rhymes means that translations to modern English will likely see nuances rid of or at least diminished. A good band of actors can conveys Shakespeare effective beyond just the texts: via delivery, body motions, intonation, and all of this aids in the audience understanding and appreciating his plays.