Critique: Schlegel’s & Günther’s Translations of “the Prologue” Romeo and Juliet – by William Shakespeare
This critique compares the original version of the prologue of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet to two German translations written by August Wilhelm Schlegel (1979) and Frank Günther (1995). The prologue introduces the audience into the main storyline of the play and outlines that they will get to hear of the sad story of the heroes’ death-marked love, their parents’ ongoing rage and ultimately their tragic death.
Shakespeare casts the prologue at the beginning of Romeo and Juliet in the form of a sonnet. He uses the Elizabethan rhyme scheme of a sonnet, which is composed of three quatrains and a final couplet in iambic pentameter with the rhyme pattern abab cdcd efef gg. Both translators keep the original rhyme scheme in their translations. Shakespeare makes use of two structural devices to clearly separate the four parts of the sonnet from one another. He firstly uses punctuation deliberately and ends each quatrain with a full stop. Both translators basically maintain the usage of full stops. Schlegel however; hyphenates the phrase ”-gleich an Würdigkeit-“ in line 1, which has not been done by Shakespeare and further omits the word “both”. Yet, this instance of ellipsis is well placed in Schlegel’s version, as it is clear that this part refers back to the “two households”. Schlegel thereby manages to present a dense translation; whereas Günther’s translation of this part contains twice as many words as Schlegel’s translation. Secondly each quatrain of the sonnet begins a different topic, moving the audience gradually through the storyline of the play to avoid confusion.
Within the first quatrain Shakespeare informs the audience about the principle theme of the play and what is the cause of it all. Shakespeare is talking about the two households, which are “both alike in dignity”; stating quite specifically that there is no difference in wealth or rank between them. Nevertheless there is this all along existing feud between these two families where no
Shakespeare casts the prologue at the beginning of Romeo and Juliet in the form of a sonnet. He uses the Elizabethan rhyme scheme of a sonnet, which is composed of three quatrains and a final couplet in iambic pentameter with the rhyme pattern abab cdcd efef gg. Both translators keep the original rhyme scheme in their translations. Shakespeare makes use of two structural devices to clearly separate the four parts of the sonnet from one another. He firstly uses punctuation deliberately and ends each quatrain with a full stop. Both translators basically maintain the usage of full stops. Schlegel however; hyphenates the phrase ”-gleich an Würdigkeit-“ in line 1, which has not been done by Shakespeare and further omits the word “both”. Yet, this instance of ellipsis is well placed in Schlegel’s version, as it is clear that this part refers back to the “two households”. Schlegel thereby manages to present a dense translation; whereas Günther’s translation of this part contains twice as many words as Schlegel’s translation. Secondly each quatrain of the sonnet begins a different topic, moving the audience gradually through the storyline of the play to avoid confusion.
Within the first quatrain Shakespeare informs the audience about the principle theme of the play and what is the cause of it all. Shakespeare is talking about the two households, which are “both alike in dignity”; stating quite specifically that there is no difference in wealth or rank between them. Nevertheless there is this all along existing feud between these two families where no