ABSTRACT:
From the late Ottoman era to the modern republic, Turks have found their passions, longings and even their politics mirrored in Shakespeare's works. Translating between cultures brings many challenges. Although it can often lead to misreading and misrepresentation, it can also bring fresh views and enrichment. Cultural exchange between the East and the West has a long history. Especially after the Ottoman armies reaching the borders of Vienna, cultural exchange became more prominent
Interest in Shakespeare had started in countries with similar cultures to England, such as France, Germany and Italy long before Turkey. It was after the Tanzimat modernization reforms that enthusiasm for translating works from foreign cultures started and interest in Shakespeare plays took off. In 1862, it was the Armenians who achieved the first production of Shakespeare's plays in Turkey.
Translators in the mid-19th century faced three major problems: linguistic difficulties, censorship and cultural difference. Ali Neyzi, famous Turkish translator of Shakespeare, observed that when translating Shakespeare he relied more on intuition than the Redhouse dictionary. Many negative references to the Turks were omitted in Turkish reproductions. Sometimes adaptations were carried to such a degree that even the character's names and their relationships to one another were changed.
Now nearly four centuries after his death Shakespeare's plays are still enjoyed with mounting enthusiasm by Turkish audiences and many schools include his plays in their curricula.
