Cultural Adaptations of Shakespeare: A Comparative Analysis of Two Albanian Productions of Twelfth Night

This thesis aims to compare William Shakespeare’s festive comedy Twelfth Night, or What You Will with two Albanian productions staged 35 years apart. By analyzing these two adaptations, this thesis explores how time and culture shape composition. While both productions make Shakespeare’s work more relatable to the Albanian audience, being separated by 35-year gap results in significant differences. The earliest production, from 1982 remains faithful to the original play. On the other hand, the 2017 production features Albanian language local dialects, traditional clothing and music that reflects Albanian folk culture. This thesis includes translations from Albanian to English, all completed by the author unless otherwise indicated.