Antigone - A Contrast Of Two T
In the undertaking of the translation of any literary work from one language to another, many things must be considered. The first of these things is the way in which the translator will handle the cultural differences that have no parallel in the language into which he is translating. Also, how he will attempt to retain the original meanings of words that may no longer exist, or that do not make sense in any language but their own, and how closely he can adhere to the original text without it losing comprehensiveness. This is especially true for a play as ancient and highly revered as Sophecles' Antigone.
This play was written around 441 BC. A translator must take caution in the ...
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authors whose works are the basis of this essay, H. D. F. Kitto, and Michael Townsend.
The first difference I noticed between the two translations was that the one produced by Kitto was substantially more proper than Townsend's. It gives the initial impression of being more of what a Greek tragedy should be; florid, formal, and full of imagery. Through this, the translator succeeds in making his version of the play seem older. Even in the very beginning of the play, Kitto is able to make Antigone's opening line sound more dramatic. While Townsend opens his version with the simplistic, modern sentence structure of "My darling sister Ismene, we have had a fine inheritance from Oedipus" (Townsend, 3), Kitto has the heroine say "Ismene, my own sister, dear Ismene, How many miseries our father caused!" (Kitto, 9). This rough, unfamiliar sentence structure makes it seem to the reader much more foreign, and therefore more authentic as an ancient Greek play. Many examples of this ...
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(Townsend, 3). In Kitto's version, Ismene's line is "What is it? Some dark shadow is upon you" (Kitto, 9). Later in this same conversation, Ismene remarks that Antigone is not remorseful of the decision she has made. In Townsend's translation, Ismene observes, "You're very cheerful" (Townsend, 5), and in Kitto's translation, the line is "Your heart is hot on wintry work" (Kitto, 9). This is an example of another difference in the two versions. Kitto's use of imagery corresponds with the general conception of how people spoke way back when this play was written, and adds further to the authenticity of the work. Townsend's simplistic diction merely makes his translation sound ...
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"Antigone - A Contrast Of Two T." Essayworld.com. December 6, 2006. Accessed April 25, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Antigone-A-Contrast-Of-Two-T/56649.
"Antigone - A Contrast Of Two T." Essayworld.com. December 6, 2006. Accessed April 25, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Antigone-A-Contrast-Of-Two-T/56649.
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