How has Shakespeare's drama endured by evolving?

Answer 1

In brief: lack of stage directions. What has evolved over four centuries has not been Shakespeare's words or language (although there have always been people trying to improve on Shakespeare in some way), but rather the way in which it has been performed (or not performed). How exactly do you say those lines? How do you stand? What gestures do you make? What costumes do you wear? How is the stage dressed? What stage technology can be used? Well, Shakespeare leaves these matters open by not putting them in stage directions. As a result, it is the job of the actor and director who bring the scene to life to answer these questions, and there are lots and lots of answers, so many that after four hundred years actors and directors are still coming up with new ones, and audience members are still being surprised and enlightened by the same play. As a contrast, pick up any play written in the twentieth century. They tend to have detailed descriptions of sets, props and costumes, so that any performance looks like any other. They often contain specific blocking instructions (Joe moves to stage left), adverbial comments on how the line is to be delivered (Joe (sadly)), and even descriptions of subtext (Joe is thinking about how he misses his mother.) All of these plays will become stale quickly because there is no possibility of re-envisioning them or finding new insights in them or even performing them in a different kind of space without ignoring the stage directions. Shakespeare's plays are not restricted in this way, and thus they could evolve and survive.

Answer 2

In brief: lack of stage directions. What has evolved over four centuries has not been Shakespeare's words or language (although there have always been people trying to improve on Shakespeare in some way), but rather the way in which it has been performed (or not performed). How exactly do you say those lines? How do you stand? What gestures do you make? What costumes do you wear? How is the stage dressed? What stage technology can be used? Well, Shakespeare leaves these matters open by not putting them in stage directions. As a result, it is the job of the actor and director who bring the scene to life to answer these questions, and there are lots and lots of answers, so many that after four hundred years actors and directors are still coming up with new ones, and audience members are still being surprised and enlightened by the same play. As a contrast, pick up any play written in the twentieth century. They tend to have detailed descriptions of sets, props and costumes, so that any performance looks like any other. They often contain specific blocking instructions (Joe moves to stage left), adverbial comments on how the line is to be delivered (Joe (sadly)), and even descriptions of subtext (Joe is thinking about how he misses his mother.) All of these plays will become stale quickly because there is no possibility of re-envisioning them or finding new insights in them or even performing them in a different kind of space without ignoring the stage directions. Shakespeare's plays are not restricted in this way, and thus they could evolve and survive.