A new translation of Shakespeare’s Richard II: the motivation for the project
The article introduces ongoing work on a new translation of Shakespeare’s Richard II, and sets out the motivation for this undertaking. This chronicle, the first in the cycle of Shakespeare’s history plays known as the second tetralogy, was written in 1595 when London theatres opened after a two-ye...
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| Language: | English |
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Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration. RANEPA
2024-12-01
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| Series: | Шаги |
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| Online Access: | https://steps.ranepa.ru/jour/article/view/7 |
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| author | I. O. Shaytanov |
| author_facet | I. O. Shaytanov |
| author_sort | I. O. Shaytanov |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The article introduces ongoing work on a new translation of Shakespeare’s Richard II, and sets out the motivation for this undertaking. This chronicle, the first in the cycle of Shakespeare’s history plays known as the second tetralogy, was written in 1595 when London theatres opened after a two-year pause due to the disastrous plague. Known primarily for its thematic actuality, King Richard dethroned, the play has been appreciated for its new reflexivity, manifested in the metaphysical style associated with John Donne but first introduced in Shakespeare’s work. Of the two major stylistic planes in Richard II, the “metaphysical” one has proved to be the most baffling for Russian translators, all of whom worked on the play before the decisive turn towards a metaphysical style in Russian verse accomplished by Joseph Brodsky, who was impressed by the English poets and later incorporated it in his individual style. The verbal fluency of the rhetoric of the royal chambers also is not adequately conveyed in the older Russian versions of the play. The manner of the four former translators — Nikolai Kholodkovsky (1902), Modest Chaikovsky (1906), Anna Kurosheva (1934), and Mikhail Donskoy (1958) — is illustrated and analyzed in their stylistic work in the scene (I, 3) when Richard II comes down from his throne to greet his cousin the Duke of Hereford (Bolingbroke). A number of other passages from the first two acts are presented and discussed. To make up for the inadequacy in the major styles of the play a new translation has been undertaken. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-a6ae7a1a411842f6b69d64a4723e6d68 |
| institution | Matheson Library |
| issn | 2412-9410 2782-1765 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration. RANEPA |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Шаги |
| spelling | doaj-art-a6ae7a1a411842f6b69d64a4723e6d682025-07-19T15:03:26ZengRussian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration. RANEPAШаги2412-94102782-17652024-12-01104708310.22394/2412-9410-2024-10-4-70-856A new translation of Shakespeare’s Richard II: the motivation for the projectI. O. Shaytanov0Российская академия народного хозяйства и государственной службы при Президенте РФ; Российский государственный гуманитарный университет; Журнал «Вопросы литературы»The article introduces ongoing work on a new translation of Shakespeare’s Richard II, and sets out the motivation for this undertaking. This chronicle, the first in the cycle of Shakespeare’s history plays known as the second tetralogy, was written in 1595 when London theatres opened after a two-year pause due to the disastrous plague. Known primarily for its thematic actuality, King Richard dethroned, the play has been appreciated for its new reflexivity, manifested in the metaphysical style associated with John Donne but first introduced in Shakespeare’s work. Of the two major stylistic planes in Richard II, the “metaphysical” one has proved to be the most baffling for Russian translators, all of whom worked on the play before the decisive turn towards a metaphysical style in Russian verse accomplished by Joseph Brodsky, who was impressed by the English poets and later incorporated it in his individual style. The verbal fluency of the rhetoric of the royal chambers also is not adequately conveyed in the older Russian versions of the play. The manner of the four former translators — Nikolai Kholodkovsky (1902), Modest Chaikovsky (1906), Anna Kurosheva (1934), and Mikhail Donskoy (1958) — is illustrated and analyzed in their stylistic work in the scene (I, 3) when Richard II comes down from his throne to greet his cousin the Duke of Hereford (Bolingbroke). A number of other passages from the first two acts are presented and discussed. To make up for the inadequacy in the major styles of the play a new translation has been undertaken.https://steps.ranepa.ru/jour/article/view/7richard iia new translationmetaphysical stylerhetoric of the throne roommodest chaikovskynikolai kholodkovskyalexandra kuroshevamikhail donskoyreflectionaphoristic idiom |
| spellingShingle | I. O. Shaytanov A new translation of Shakespeare’s Richard II: the motivation for the project Шаги richard ii a new translation metaphysical style rhetoric of the throne room modest chaikovsky nikolai kholodkovsky alexandra kurosheva mikhail donskoy reflection aphoristic idiom |
| title | A new translation of Shakespeare’s Richard II: the motivation for the project |
| title_full | A new translation of Shakespeare’s Richard II: the motivation for the project |
| title_fullStr | A new translation of Shakespeare’s Richard II: the motivation for the project |
| title_full_unstemmed | A new translation of Shakespeare’s Richard II: the motivation for the project |
| title_short | A new translation of Shakespeare’s Richard II: the motivation for the project |
| title_sort | new translation of shakespeare s richard ii the motivation for the project |
| topic | richard ii a new translation metaphysical style rhetoric of the throne room modest chaikovsky nikolai kholodkovsky alexandra kurosheva mikhail donskoy reflection aphoristic idiom |
| url | https://steps.ranepa.ru/jour/article/view/7 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT ioshaytanov anewtranslationofshakespearesrichardiithemotivationfortheproject AT ioshaytanov newtranslationofshakespearesrichardiithemotivationfortheproject |