Translating Classical Plays: Collected Papers (Routledge Monographs in Classical Studies)

Translating Classical Plays is a selection of edited papers by J. Michael Walton published and delivered between 1997 and 2014. Of the four sections, each with a new introduction, the first two cover the history of translating classical drama into English and specific issues relating to translation for stage performance. The latter two are concerned with the three Greek tragedians, and the Greek and Roman writers of old and new comedy, ending with the hitherto unpublished text of a Platform Lecture given at the National Theatre in London comparing the plays of Plautus with Sondheim’s A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. The volume is an invaluable resource for anyone involved in staging or translating classical drama. Cover 1 Title 6 Copyright 7 Contents 8 List of illustrations and copyright 10 Acknowledgements 11 Part 1 Translation in English 14 Introduction 14 1 ‘An agreeable innovation’: Play and translation Translation and the Classic (2008) 22 2 Theobald and Lintott: A footnote on early translations of Greek tragedy Arion (2009) 37 3 Benson, ‘Mushri’ and the first English Oresteia Arion (2006) 43 4 Business as usual: Plautus’ Menaechmi in English translation Ancient Comedy and Reception (2014) 56 Part 2 Processes and issues 78 Introduction 78 5 ‘Good manners, decorum or the public peace’: Greek drama and the censor Modes of Censorship and Translation (2007) 84 6 Vacuum or agenda: The translator’s dilemma Classical and Modern Literature (2007) 101 7 Transfusion or transgression: The translator as director in Medea Proceedings of the X and XI Meetings of the ECCD at Delphi 118 Part 3 Greek tragedy 132 Introduction 132 8 ‘Enough give in it’: Translating the classical play The Blackwell Companion to Classical Receptions 138 9 ‘Men as they ought to be’: Sophocles in translation Brill’s Companion to Sophocles (2012) 153 10 The translator’s invisibility: Handling irony GRAMMA (2014) 171 11 Hit or myth: The Irish and Greek tragedy Methuen Drama (2002) 184 Part 4 Greek and Roman comedy 202 Introduction 202 12 The line or the gag: Translating classical comedy CTIA Occasional Papers (2006) 207 13 Aristophanes and the theatre of burlesque The Comparative Drama Conference, 2005 220 14 Realizing Menander: Get-in at the Getty DRAMA (1997) 229 15 Shtick or twist: Plautus to the musical National Theatre Platform Lecture (2004) 246 Bibliography and works cited 258 Translations 265 Index 276 J. Michael Walton. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.