I have never been one for reading things written during the BC times without some sort of translation to “dumb it down.” The language is always so elaborate and extensive. The writers can go on and on for pages and only accomplish making one or two points. After a while of reading, I realize that I’ve been sitting here with my eyes going back and forth over the sentences and have absolutely no clue what it is that I just read and what I’m supposed to get from it. This is how Euripedes’ play, The Trojan Women, read for me. I found myself after a while having no real clue as to what they were talking about and only getting a broad sense of the fact that their city has been destroyed, families killed and that life was, simply, miserable and would be until the day they died. I glanced over to see how much more I had to read, and my heart sank just a bit.
I realize that I sound extremely pessimistic and whiny—my apologies. I do have an appreciation for where they are coming from and that theatre has been around a lot longer than just the past 100 or so years. I did some looking up for information about this play and found some translations and even some video clips of groups doing both Euripedes’ words and the translations which definitely helped in my reading of the play. Using these other sources helped me to follow along with the general idea of what was going on even without the specifics. Reading these words off the page does not give me anything emotionally. I understand that, “Ah me! ah me! What else but tears is now my hapless lot…” (Hecuba) is said out of her depressed state, but having to dissect those words so thoroughly eventually leads to a loss of emotion for the reader.
Reading it and watching it would convey two completely different ideas of this text. I’m certain that if I had the opportunity to sit down and watch it acted out in front of me by a talented performer who had done the research and had really delved into the character that my heart would be breaking.
I wrote this entry, obviously, before we have even had the opportunity to discuss the play in class. I have every intention of going into class with an open mind and hope that the presentations and discussions will open my eyes a little bit to what I’m missing while I just read it. I wanted to share my initial reactions.
3 comments:
I understand what you’re saying. With ancient texts the language is often thick and hard to comprehend or very melodramatic sounding in a more modern translation. Being a product of the 20th century, I prefer to read ink on page with light coming from over me and not directly into my eyes. Hence, I accidently borrowed from LFPL a version that’s “In a New Translation” by Nicholas Rudall. Yes, it still sounds a bit over the top (do you know anyone who actually says “Alas”?) but it did help me to make more sense of the verbiage in the on-line text Amy provided. I’d be happy to lend it to you.
The only advice I can offer is what I said to my section students this week about Oedipus Rex. Look beyond the words and look at what the characters are expressing and portraying. “Theatre is about the most important events in people’s lives”-an axiom I was taught many years ago. Find their important event (including Talthybius) as an opening to start unwrapping the text.
Excellent points, both of you. I admit that I lead you to a tough translation, simply because it was free. That was kind of a mistake. But since we're focusing on plot in this play, it may help to analyze it in terms of events, as we started to do today. What actually happens in the play? What events cause or allow other things to follow?
But, Meredith, you've touched on two essential things about Greek tragedies in a contemporary context: one is that translation in necessary, and choosing which translation (or combination thereof) will best suit your purposes is the first step in considering how you will interpret the play for the stage.
But also: plays are written to be enacted, not just read. So actually determining what the events are is the next step in staging a Greek tragedy. What happens? To whom? Why? Why should we care? And then ... what happens next? Why? And so on, to the end of the play and beyond ...
I tend to agree with Meredith on these points. One thing about this play that we discussed in class is that there are no major moments in "plot" in this play. As a reader, I tend to wait for the next big thing to keep me involved in the text. Because of the late point of attack in this play, it was hard for me to find things to look forward to. There were some exceptions, I found Cassandra's curse very interesting.
Another thing I had a problem with was trying to read the whole thing off a computer screen! That was a mistake....
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