Synthesized answer
The passages indicate that Yeats aimed for "simple speakable prose" in his adaptation of "Oedipus at Colonus," intending it as a contribution to the Abbey Repertory and revising it for performance with the Abbey players [1]. This suggests a primary purpose of theatrical impact and accessibility for an audience. In contrast, F. Storr's translation, from the Loeb Library Edition, implies a purpose of scholarly fidelity, as it is a product of classicists [3].
The passages do not explicitly detail how these differing primary purposes might influence a translator's choices regarding language, tone, and pacing. However, Yeats's focus on "simple speakable prose" for performance suggests a prioritization of directness and potentially a less formal tone than a scholarly translation might employ. The potential consequences for a student encountering the text through these different lenses are not detailed in the provided passages.
Synthesized from the book passages below. Chat with the book on Feynman for follow-up.
From the book
Description: "Working from Victorian translations into English and French by classicists R. C. Jebb and Paul Masqueray, Yeats completed Oedipus the King in the fall of 1926 and Oedipus at Colonus a year later. Yeats gave the second play, like the first, directly to the Abbey players, prompting him to revise and hone his texts through many versions to achieve his stated goal of putting the play "into simple speakable prose" that he hoped would be his "contribution to the Abbey Repertory." The play had a successful run in September of 1927 but was not published until 1934." "The edition…
play, which is presented with an apparatus of collations from the many proofs for three different intended publications. Included also are photographs and transcriptions of the verse choruses, except for the two appearing in The Tower (1928), also in this series; an appendix of other typescripts and proofs that invite detailed treatment; and a brief account of the music written for the play by Lennox Robinson, who was also its first director. The texts are prefaced by a census of manuscripts, an introduction discussing Yeats's development of the play,and a chronology of composition."--BOOK…
(return) [ The Greek text that occurs in this place has been lost.] OEDIPUS AT COLONUS Translation by F. Storr, BA Formerly Scholar of Trinity College, Cambridge From the Loeb Library Edition Originally published by Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA and William Heinemann Ltd, London First published in 1912 ARGUMENT Oedipus, the blind and banished King of Thebes, has come in his wanderings to Colonus, a deme of Athens, led by his daughter Antigone. He sits to rest on a rock just within a sacred grove of the Furies and is bidden depart by a passing native.…
7 (return) [ The Thebans sprung from the Dragon’s teeth sown by Cadmus.] ANTIGONE Translation by F. Storr, BA Formerly Scholar of Trinity College, Cambridge From the Loeb Library Edition Originally published by Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA and William Heinemann Ltd, London First published in 1912 ARGUMENT Antigone, daughter of Oedipus, the late king of Thebes, in defiance of Creon who rules in his stead, resolves to bury her brother Polyneices, slain in his attack on Thebes. She is caught in the act by Creon’s watchmen and brought before the king.…
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More questions about this book
- Yeats extensively revised his translations for "simple speakable prose" for the Abbey players. Beyond ease of delivery, what deeper implications does this specific goal have for how a play's meaning, character, and emotional impact might be altered or emphasized compared to a more literal, scholarly translation?
- The "ARGUMENT" for *Oedipus the King* presents a chain of events where characters repeatedly act to avert a prophecy, only to inadvertently fulfill it. Explain how this pattern exemplifies a core concept of dramatic irony or fate in Greek tragedy, and why understanding this mechanism is crucial for interpreting Oedipus's journey.
- Considering the brief "Contents" list alongside the detailed "ARGUMENT" for *Oedipus the King*, what unresolved conflicts, moral dilemmas, or character arcs from the first play do you anticipate Sophocles will explore and develop in *Oedipus at Colonus* and *Antigone*?
- If you were explaining the "ARGUMENT" of *Oedipus the King* to someone completely new to Greek tragedy, what are the most fundamental human experiences, fears, or philosophical questions embedded within this synopsis that you would emphasize as essential for them to grasp the play's enduring relevance?