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who can compare with beowulf
who can compare with beowulf
beowulf comparison essay
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So many languages, so many cultures. So many people, so many minds. One of the hardest things for humans to interpret is language, especially if the language they are interpreting is one they are not primarily familiar to the language they are interpreting. A result of this is a myriad of interpretations, each with their own individual ‘twist’ depending on the translator. This applies immensely when it comes to the ancient but timeles epic poem Beowulf. Beowulf was written in Old English by an unknown author between the centuries of 800 AD and 1000 AD. Year after year, a new translation is made by an author. Each translation is completely different, yet still the same poem. It is tedious for authors to make their translation literal to the original epic, while simultaneously making it understandable, modern, and readable. Many have tried to accomplish this, but personally I find that Seamus Heaney’s translation of the epic accomplishes these goals notably well, keeping the plotlines intact while putting a vastly interesting twist on the aged epic. Heaney’s use of colorful vocabulary creates and understandable and modern translation while still preserving the texts key values and lessons, far preceding many other translations.
Translations of the epic Beowulf vary in a plethora of different ways. Most authors will over-glorify the poem to the point where it becomes unrealistic and sprawling. This is why I prefer Heaney’s translation; His translation is down-to-earth and keeps the reader wanting to turn the page. He also does not glorify Beowulf overzealously, which brings a sense of normality and flaw to his character, something needed in every single character. He also brings the necessary flaws to other characters, such as Gren...
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...olutely prefer Heaney’s translation. It is the real epic. It is Beowulf.
Many aspects come into play when it comes to translating. In my personal belief, a translation needs to be accurate, appropriate, modern and readable. This can be achieved by strenuously revising the original text and adding appropriate syntax along with a vivid mix of vocabulary. It must have the plotlines intact from the original text and it must reemploy the original values and lessons of the original text. In Beowulf, these attributes are obtained in Seamus Heaney’s translation. It is readable, accurate, and extremely appealing to the reader, while still staying realistic. Many authors have tried to accomplish this feat of nearly perfecting a translation, but in my view, Heaney has done an excellent job, preceding dozens upon dozens of similar translations. PLAGIARISM PLAGIARISM PLAGIARISM
The movie added a twist to give excitement to the viewers, to make Beowulf a man of flaws. The poem had him seem as a hero, a man who did no wrong. No matter what story is told, Beowulf will always remain a
Heaney, Seamus. Introduction. Beowulf: a New Verse Translation. New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2000. Xvii. Print.
In the novel, there is a whole different representation of the character Beowulf, he is viewed as a conniving snake that is feared by his fellows. People see him in an unsettling manner, with tense attitudes, and resented feelings. “The Danes sat sulking, watching the strangers eat, wishing some one of them would give them an excuse to use their daggers.
One of the earliest Medieval Literature work and the most popularly praised epic poems, Beowulf is considered as the most prominent epic poem in the history of British Literature. Beowulf is said to be a part of a “genre of Old English long epics, but it must have been a remarkable and difficult work even in its own day”, (Greenblatt, pp.37). The poet was resurrecting the epic language of ancient Germanic oral poetry, which makes it a rare form of poetry in writing since most of Germanic poetry was spoken and not written. Beowulf is remarkable in this nature for it is a poem that gives modern readers an insight on how German Heroic Poetry was performed in those times. Nonetheless, Beowulf is considered a Heroic Poem, a story about a mortal
Heaney, Seamus, trans. Beowulf: A New Verse Translation. New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2000.
Seamus Heaney’s translation of Beowulf captures the magnificent strength and glory of the hero Beowulf as he saves Hrothgar’s kingdom from the wrath of Grendel and his mother. In this section of the poem, Heaney retells Beowulf’s final fight, one with a treasure-hoarding dragon, as well as the last words he utters to his fellow warrior Wiglaf as he dies from the dragon’s venomous bite. The scene is an exuberant, almost chaotic display of great heroism and courage, however; it is also symbolic – Beowulf’s battle with the dragon, as well as his interaction with Wiglaf, illustrate the core beliefs and values of Anglo-Saxon culture, which include, but are not limited to honor, loyalty, fate, legacy, and kinship. Although Beowulf struggles against
Bloom, Harold. “Introduction.” In Modern Critical Interpretations: Beowulf, edited by Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1987.
Heaney, Seamus. “Beowulf: The Poem” Beowulf: A New Verse Translation. New York: W.W. Norton &Company Ltd. 2001. ix-xxx. Print.
Heaney, Seamus. Beowulf: A New Verse Translation. New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2000. Print.
Unlike Heaney’s translation, Raffel’s translation uses a capital letter at the beginning of each line, which can easily be assumed to represent his unique style of writing. The most obvious difference between the two translations of Beowulf as the tale continues is the length. This length difference is because Raffel’s translation completely disregards sections of the story, Raffel with his straightforward approach leaves out most of the details that Heaney includes graciously. "Suddenly then the God-cursed brute was creating havoc: greedy and grim, he grabbed thirty men from their resting places and rushed to his lair, flushed up and inflamed from the raid, blundering back with the butchered corpses." (Heaney, L. 120-5) While at the same time, another translation states, "Thoughts were as quick as his greed or his claws: he slipped through the door and there in the silence snatched up thirty men, smashed them unknowing in their beds and ran out with their bodies, the blood dripping behind him, back to his lair, delighted with his night's slaughter." (Raffel, L. 120-5). The same ideas are portrayed in both translations with the differentiation in the use of diction. Heaney uses words such as "flushed up and inflamed" to describe Grendel’s mood. Raffel uses the word "delighted" to describe Grendel's
Tolkein, J.R.R. “Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics.” Beowulf: The Donaldson Translation Backgrounds and Sources Criticism. Tuso, Joseph F. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 1975. Print.
There is not unanimity among Beowulf translators concerning all parts of the text, but there is little divergence from a single, uniform translation of the poem. Herein are discussed some passages which translators might show disagreement about because of the lack of clarity or missing fragments of text or abundance of synonyms or ambiguous referents.
Abrams, M.H., ed. Beowulf: The Norton Anthology of English Literature. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2001.
Beowulf is one of the oldest works of literature left from the Anglo-Saxon period which makes the piece of literature all the more important not only as an epic, but as a piece of literary history from that era. With no author, Beowulf has been translated from old English into modern English by multiple people each time resulting in different translations. One of the more recent translations has been done by Burton Raffel and is widely used throughout the world. The translation of the epic poem Beowulf done by Burton Raffel demonstrates the function of uncertainty as a recurring theme that ties in with fate throughout the novel as well as
Beowulf is the single greatest story of Old English literature and one of the greatest epics of all time. Ironically, no one can lay claim to being the author of this amazing example of literature. The creator of this poem was said to be alive around 600 A.D. and the story was, since then, been passed down orally from generation to generation. When the first English monks heard the story, they took it upon themselves to write it down and add a bit of their own thoughts. Thus, a great epic and the beginning to English literature was born.