They are regarded as some of the finest works in English literature - and now some of William Shakespeare's greatest plays have been translated into emojis.

The OMG Shakespeare series takes the Bard's original prose and replaces it with slang, text speak and emoticons.

Among the 'translated' books are Yolo Juliet, srsly Hamlet, A Midsummer Night #nofilter, and Macbeth #killing it.

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William Shakespeare's greatest plays have been translated into emojis, including Romeo and Juliet as Yolo Juliet (left) and Hamlet as srsly Hamlet (right)

The OMG Shakespeare series replaces the Bard's original prose and replaces it with slang, text speak and emoticons

The new series is an attempt to make the works of Shakespeare more accessible to the younger generation.

However it has been met with fury by traditionalists who say the 'absolutely disastrous' books are another sign of the 'dumbing down' of education.

The books, which include a glossary of terms to explain what the emojis and abbreviations mean, went on sale last week and are available on Amazon for less than £10 each.

OMG Shakespeare also re-writes portions of the plays to make them fit into modern culture, with major characters using smartphones to chat to each other.

Instead of the famous 'Wherefore art thou Romeo' scene in Romeo and Juliet, the love-struck protagonists text each other, with Juliet confessing that she 'hearts' her tragic lover.

Balcony scene: In this extract from Romeo and Juliet, nearly 500 words of carefully-crafted verse, in which the characters profess their love, are condensed into a few lines of text speak, peppered with emoji

... AND HOW SHAKESPEARE WORDED THE ICONIC BALCONY SCENE Juliet: How cam'st thou hither, tell me, and wherefore? The orchard walls are high and hard to climb, And the place death, considering who thou art, If any of my kinsmen find thee here. Romeo: With love's light wings did I o'erperch these walls, (70) For stony limits cannot hold love out, And what love can do, that dares love attempt: Therefore thy kinsmen are no stop to me. Juliet: If they do see thee, they will murder thee. Romeo: Alack, there lies more peril in thine eye Than twenty of their swords. Look thou but sweet And I am proof against their enmity. Juliet: I would not for the world they saw thee here. Romeo: I have night's cloak to hide me from their eyes, And, but thou love me, let them find me here; (80) My life were better ended by their hate Than death prorogued, wanting of thy love. Juliet: By whose direction found'st thou out this place? Romeo: By love, that first did prompt me to enquire. He lent me counsel, and I lent him eyes. I am no pilot, yet, wert thou as far As that vast shore wash'd with the furthest sea, I should adventure for such merchandise. Juliet: Thou knowest the mask of night is on my face, Else would a maiden blush bepaint my cheek (90) For that which thou hast heard me speak tonight. Fain would I dwell on form; fain, fain deny What I have spoke. But farewell compliment. Dost thou love me? I know thou wilt say 'Ay', And I will take thy word. Yet, if thou swear'st, Thou mayst prove false. At lovers' perjuries, They say, Jove laughs. O gentle Romeo, If thou dost love, pronounce it faithfully: Or if thou thinkest I am too quickly won, I'll frown, and be perverse, and say thee nay, (100) So thou wilt woo: but else, not for the world. In truth, fair Montague, I am too fond; And therefore thou mayst think my 'haviour light: But trust me, gentleman, I'll prove more true Than those that have more cunning to be strange. I should have been more strange, I must confess, But that thou overheard'st, ere I was 'ware, My true-love passion: therefore pardon me; And not impute this yielding to light love Which the dark night hath so discovered. (110) Romeo: Lady, by yonder blessed moon I vow, That tips with silver all these fruit-tree tops -- Juliet: O, swear not by the moon, the inconstant moon, That monthly changes in her circled orb, Lest that thy love prove likewise variable. Advertisement

Juliet also tells Romeo that the Capulet family will be 'pissed' if they find out she is talking to a Montague.

Yolo Juliet's description on Amazon reads: 'What if those star-crossed lovers Romeo and Juliet had smartphones? A classic is reborn in this fun and funny adaptation of one of Shakespeare’s most famous plays!'

Meanwhile in the first scene of Srsly Hamlet, Marcellus takes a picture on his phone of the ghost of the late King Hamlet before showing it to fellow guardsmen Bernardo and Horatio.

OMG Shakespeare re-writes portions of the plays to make them fit into modern culture, with major characters using smartphones to text message each other

To emoji or not to emoji: Marcellus takes a picture of the ghost of King Hamlet on his smartphone, in a bizarre take on the first scene of the Shakespeare classic Hamlet

Professor Alan Smithers, Director of the Centre for Education and Employment Research at the University of Buckingham, said OMG Shakespeare was another sign of the 'dumbing down' of education.

He said: 'It is an attempt to make Shakespeare more accessible, but it is taking out the core of the plays - Shakespeare himself.

'Shakespeare is about the story that is told, but is more to do with the rhythm of the prose and the language used.

'It's well-intentioned but at the heart of it is something absolutely disastrous.

'I remember when they tried to recreate the Bible as a cartoon and this sounds similar. While part of the idea is useful, you lose the real literature behind it. It will be the same with Shakespeare

'So yes, let's make Shakespeare more accessible to children and students - but let's do it with better teaching.'

Penguin Random House, which publishes OMG Shakespeare, has been contacted for comment.