Ryszard Długołęcki

Ryszard Długołęcki (born 1933) studied at the Medical Academy in Warsaw and became a surgeon. He has published five translations of Shakespeare plays: Hamlet (2013), Makbet (2018), Król Lear (King Lear, 2019), Ryszard III (2020) and Sen nocy letniej (A Midsummer Night’s Dream, 2022). He is a keen high-altitude climber and took part, as the medic, in expeditions to the High Atlas, the Karakoram and the Himalayas. He has also translated thrillers.

Długołęcki’s translation work is part of the Polish tradition of celebrated doctors translating Shakespeare, established by Władysław Matlakowski and Józef Skłodowski. Describing his work, Długołęcki points to the influence of Stanisław Barańczak’s essays and the critical thought of Jan Kott. He also emphasises Shakespeare’s relevance and the universality of his depictions of human nature. He places a high value on historical and literary studies of the original plays. His personal fascination with the text, seen as an intellectual puzzle and the source of aesthetic experiences, remains at the centre of his project.

His translations are accompanied by his own notes and essays, which engage with the English originals. A consultation with an expert in Shakespeare Studies is acknowledged.

Ryszard Długołęcki’s translations have been warmly received by a circle of enthusiasts for his project. Much is made of the benefits to readers of access to multiple translations that reveal the qualities of the original texts in various ways. The translations have not yet been staged, nor have they been the subject of critical analysis.