The Influence of Latin Translations of Classical Greek Literature by F. Portus and Others on Early Modern English Poets and Their Creation of Myths

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K02443
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Literature in English
• Research Institution: Ochanomizu University
• Principal Investigator: Shimizu Tetsuro お茶の水女子大学, 基幹研究院, 教授 (60235653)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: Franciscus Portus / Greek / Homerus / Shakespeare / Marlowe / Latin translation / myth / printing

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Along with the development of printing　in the mid-16th century, Greek-and-Latin bilingual, student　editions of Classical Greek poems came to widely circulate throughout Europe, influencing not a few English poets of the time. This is a research on the latter's reception of Classical Greek poetry through the 16th-century printed texts, among which the Genevan editions with Portus' translation seemed most prominent. The project also referred to some examples of reception of Classical Greek poems in the contemporary fine arts and drama. The results contain the finding that certain texts of some late-16th-century English poets, among whom Marlowe and Shakespeare were noteworthy, were a lot more influenced by translated Classical Greek poems than used to be believed. The characteristics of newly created Renaissance myths can be seen especially in human-centered etiology of the world, and in metaphoric rewriting of many traditional metonyms, e.g. of the underworld, singing and voice.

Free Research Field

英語英文学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

従来文学史では、16世紀英国詩人においては古典ギリシャ文学からの直接的影響がほとんどなかったとする見方が主流だったが、近年では１６世紀に印刷本として多く流通するようになったラテン語訳による受容の可能性が重視され始めている。本研究はそのような研究動向を踏まえ、シェイクスピアとその同時代詩人のテクストにおいて具体的な受容の容態を考察したものである。結論として言えるのは、古典が必ずしも常に伝統的権威として特権的知識階級の独占物だった訳ではないということ。少なくとも大学初年レベルの教養を持つ詩人たちが、翻訳テクストを媒介に古代詩人たちと想像力による対話を行う状況が整っていたことが明らかになっている。