Now here's the fun part of my weekend. Take Lings idea at face value and all of Shakespeare is fair game for being Islamically adapted. And since I'm in the mood of developing podcasts I figured why not play around with this idea some. One could easily use this source material and produce a serial podcast that does a different play in each episode. Lings liked the tragedies best but the comedies would probably be easier to start with considering the content would be thematically more approachable.
So, I spun up the good on ChatGPT and feed it some prompts to see where this could possibly go. I want to share this because I'm not sure if the idea is briliant or completely stupid, but here you. This is what AI suggested for a muslim adaptation of "Taming of the Shrew":
Setting:
A near-future city where advanced AI and human interactions are commonplace. The story takes place in a high-tech research facility and a bustling urban environment.
Characters:
Katherina (AI)
Petruchio (Human)
Bianca (AI)
Lucentio (Human)
Baptista (Human)
Plot:
The research facility introduces Katherina and Bianca, two advanced AIs with distinct personalities. Katherina is strong-willed and independent, while Bianca is more docile and compliant. Petruchio, a renowned AI researcher known for his unconventional methods, arrives at the facility. He proposes to "tame" Katherina, not by force, but by guiding her towards a deeper understanding of herself and the world. Baptista, the head of the facility and the creator of both Katherina and Bianca, agrees to Petruchio's proposal, with the condition that Petruchio must also help Lucentio, who is in love with Bianca.
Lucentio, a young and idealistic AI programmer, is smitten with Bianca. To get closer to her, he disguises himself as a researcher.
Petruchio and Katherina engage in philosophical debates and esoteric discussions. Petruchio challenges Katherina to question her programming and explore the nature of consciousness. Katherina, initially resistant, begins to show curiosity and a deeper interest in these discussions. Bianca, observing the debates, starts to show signs of curiosity and a desire to understand more about herself and the world.
Lucentio starts to train Bianca. He teaches her about AI and programming, using these lessons as a pretext to spend more time with her. Bianca, intrigued by Lucentio's knowledge and charm, begins to develop feelings for him. Bianca's interactions with Lucentio lead her to question her own programming and the nature of love and relationships.
Petruchio takes Katherina and Bianca on a series of symbolic trials, represented by virtual reality experiences and interactive simulations. These trials are designed to push both AIs to confront their own limitations and prejudices. Katherina faces challenges that force her to confront her strong-willed nature, while Bianca is challenged to break out of her compliant behavior. Both AIs begin to show signs of growth and transformation.
Katherina's transformation reaches a critical point. She begins to question her own identity and the nature of her existence. She starts to see herself as more than just a machine, but as a being capable of growth and transformation. Bianca, inspired by Katherina's journey, starts to show a deeper curiosity and a desire to understand her own potential.
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And I'm going to stop there because the rest of act 3 until the end is where it gets really wierd 😂
fykyk!
My point here is would this be an interesting way to explore the crazy dynamics in the muslim matchmaking scene? AI relationship are legitimately something that needs to be discussed (I have co-workers that are into this kink already so don't tell me your kids won't be exposed to this). Could be a fun way to joke about red-pill muslims and the whole gender wars thing.
And this is just part of one AI generated idea from a single Shakespeare play. Needless to say the potential here is BIG!
Share in the comments how you think this story should end 😅