Beowulf Translation Debate

The idea for comparing translations of Beowulf as a class exercise in close reading is not mine, but a fellow graduate student's. However, I did modify this exercise to make the group work a bit more dynamic; the students were then required to debate the merits of their translation.



What makes a better translation?
What makes better literature?
How do you challenge someone else's opinion on literature using an identifiable set of criteria?
How do you develop this set of criteria?

I was evaluated based on this class, and it went really well.

The other important thing to note is that you should give them this hand out in advance. When I did this set of debates, I gave them a day to prepare. When I later gave them a week to prepare, the results were much better. 

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Tomorrow in class we will be discussing various translations of the same passage from Beowulf. Please read the translations, and then use the following questions to help draw comparisons between them.

1. How does the form of this translation make use of oral poetic characteristics? (alliteration, repetition, spacing, etc) [NB: I have recreated the text exactly as it appears on the page, including commas, spaces, justifications. Take that into consideration, also!]
2. What kind of imagery is used in the passage?
3. What word choices does the translator make?
4. What can you infer about the translator's intent based on the language? (academic, storytelling, etc) What are the benefits of the intent that the translator uses?
5. Does the passage reflect the model of the heroic mode? How?

Translation #1 (Seamus Heaney):

So times were pleasant for the people there

100 until finally one, a fiend out of hell,

began to work his evil in the world.

Grendel was the name of this grim demon

haunting the marches, marauding round the heath

and the desolate fens; he had dwelt for a time

in misery among the banished monsters,

Cain’s clan, whom the Creator had outlawed

and condemned as outcasts. For the killing of Abel

the Eternal Lord had exacted a price:

Cain got no good from committing that murder

110 because the Almighty made him anathema

and out of the curse of his exile there sprang

ogres and elves and evil phantoms

and the giants too who strove with God

time and again until He gave them their reward.

(2001-02-17). Beowulf (Bilingual Edition) (Kindle Locations 476-477). W. W. Norton & Company. Kindle Edition. 

Translation #2: Anne Schotter:

And so the warriors lived in joy

100 happily until one began

to commit crimes, a fiend from hell

the grim demon was called Grendel,

notorious borderland-prowler who dwelt in the moors

fen and stronghold; the home of monsterkind

105 this cursed creature occupied for a long while

since the Creator had condemned him

as the kin of Cain - he punished the killing,

the Eternal Lord, because he slew Abel;

He did not rejoice in that evil deed, but He banished him far

100 from mankind, God, in return for the crime.

(Excerpt from Longman Anthology of British Literature, 3^rd Edition. Eds. Damrosch and Dettmar.)

Translation #3: Allan Sullivan and Timothy Murphy

So the king's thanes

90 gathered in gladness; then crime came calling.

a horror from hell, hideous Grendel,

wrathful rover of borders and moors,

holder of hollows, haunter of fens.

He had lived long in the land of the loathsome,

born to the band whom God had banished

as kindred of Cain, thereby requiting

the slayer of Abel. Many such sprang

from the first murderer: monsters and misfits,

elves and ill-spirits, also those giants

100 whose wars with the Lord earned them exile.

(Excerpt from Longman Anthology of British Literature, 3^rd Edition. Eds. Damrosch and Dettmar.)

Translation #4: R.M. Liuzza [the text assigned to this course]

-Thus this lordly people lived in joy,

blessedly, until one began

to work his foul crimes – a fiend from hell.

This grim spirit was called Grendel,

mighty stalker of the marshes, who held

the moors and fens; thivs miserable man

lived for a time in the land of giants,

after the Creator had condemned him

among Cain's race – when he killed Abel

the eternal Lord avenged that death.

No joy in that feud – the Maker forced him

far from mankind for his foul crime.

From thence arose all misbegotten things,

trolls and elves and the living dead,

and also the gianys who strove against God

for a long while – He gave them their reward for that.

[Anonymous. Beowulf. Ed. R.M. Liuzza. Peterborough: Broadview, 2013. Print.]

Group Essay on _Oryx and Crake_

In your group, come up with a thesis for your given essay topic, as well as body topics and evidence to support the thesis. Your evidence should be integrated as a sentence. If the evidence is a word or short phrase that requires some explanation, take the time to give that explanation.

There is a twist to this group assignment: each person in your group will be randomly assigned a role to fulfil within the context of the group. While all members will have specific guiding questions (outlined below), ALL members should confer on:

-        ideas

-        the wording of the topic sentences and the thesis

-        thinking of the evidence to support the idea

Here are the roles which may be assigned to you:

1)      Moderator:

- This member is the leader, but not the boss. Their job is to ask the following questions of themselves, and say constructive things with these questions in mind: is the group on task? Are you answering the essay question? What needs to be completed in order to move on to the next section? Can any tasks be delegated, or how can you help the other members do their roles?

2)      Speaker:

- This member should be participating and listening in equal measure, because they will report the group's findings to the rest of the class. They should ask these questions of themselves: Do you understand the group's answers in such a way that you can teach them to your audience? If not, are you asking clarifying questions to ensure that you are giving the best answer possible?

3)      Writer:

- This person collects the information on the hand out provided, and ensures that the hand out is given to Elyn at the end of the class. (Even if they have to pry it out of someone's hands). They should ask these questions: Is the answer you record whole and complete? Do you need to explain the evidence or embellish a point? Do you understand the answer well enough to write it so that others comprehend your meaning easily? Is the answer convincing? If not, how can you help change the wording so it is more convincing?

4)      Detective:

- This person is in charge of finding evidence in the text. They may participate less in the discussion (in fact, discussion should continue while they look for evidence), but they are no less important, as they will ask these questions of their work: Are you able to find evidence that supports the ideas of your group members? Are you able to distinguish between defensible and non-defensible positions? Are you being meticulous about your evidence (that is, are you searching or the BEST evidence possible?) Are you asking for help from your group members when you need it?

* This person should ask the others to find specific pieces of evidence when necessary. There may be more than one detective if there are five members in the group.