This paper investigates the ways in which retranslation influences the representation of the literary villain, focusing on a contemporary Italian rendition of Iago, from Shakespeare’s Othello, in which the character is linguistically and narratively construed in antiheroic terms. First, the distinguishing traits of the antihero type are considered in relation to three of its counterparts: the hero, the villain, the fool. Then, the multifaceted quality of Shakespeare’s Iago is presented through the lens of different critical approaches. Finally, Letizia Russo’s translation is considered, with a focus on her linguistic and narrative construction of Iago in relation to the other characters in the play. Her translation strategies are compared to those of two other Italian translations of the Othello: Giulio Perosa’s and Agostino Lombardo’s. The comparison underlines how Russo’s antiheroic approach to the villain dramatizes the tension between the prevailing ideologies of the translating culture and the innovative function of retranslation, illustrating how retranslation may destabilize the representation of the traditional figure of the villain and testify to the representational versatility of the antihero.
Iago through clean eyes or a villain reworded. A translation case study / Travaglini, Giulia. - (2024). (Intervento presentato al convegno A foil to the hero. Antiheroic characters in language, literature, and translation, Graduate forum tenutosi a Rome; Italy).
Iago through clean eyes or a villain reworded. A translation case study
Giulia Travaglini
2024
Abstract
This paper investigates the ways in which retranslation influences the representation of the literary villain, focusing on a contemporary Italian rendition of Iago, from Shakespeare’s Othello, in which the character is linguistically and narratively construed in antiheroic terms. First, the distinguishing traits of the antihero type are considered in relation to three of its counterparts: the hero, the villain, the fool. Then, the multifaceted quality of Shakespeare’s Iago is presented through the lens of different critical approaches. Finally, Letizia Russo’s translation is considered, with a focus on her linguistic and narrative construction of Iago in relation to the other characters in the play. Her translation strategies are compared to those of two other Italian translations of the Othello: Giulio Perosa’s and Agostino Lombardo’s. The comparison underlines how Russo’s antiheroic approach to the villain dramatizes the tension between the prevailing ideologies of the translating culture and the innovative function of retranslation, illustrating how retranslation may destabilize the representation of the traditional figure of the villain and testify to the representational versatility of the antihero.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.