Article

Name: The last scene of the second part of Faust as translated by Ivan Turgenev

Authors: Ivan O. Volkov

Tomsk State University, Tomsk, Russian Federation

In the section Study of literature

Abstract:

The paper presents an analysis of the concluding scene of the second part of Faust, translated by Ivan Turgenev in the first half of the 1840s. The alterations to the lexical and punctuation patterns serve as crucial markers of the writer’s creative comprehension of the scene in prison where the heroes meet, with this scene being the key to the whole work. Expanding the iambic pentameter of the original to hexameter, Turgenev infuses Goethe’s poems with ellipses, structures repetitions and chooses significant equivalents for German words, thereby reinforcing existing accents and generating new meanings. By employing subtle observations, he broadens the scope of reflection surrounding Faust and Margarita, highlighting the nuanced changes in their spiritual worlds and strengthening the connection between them. Therefore, the Russian translation highlights the stark contrast between Faust’s desires and his reality, acting as a rebuke to his overall weakness and his specific responsibility for the girl’s tragic fate. Conversely, the portrayal of Gretchen achieves depth through the emphasis and amplification of her desperate emotional state. The exacerbation of a tragic turning point, wherein love undergoes a dramatic transformation from a source of joy to a profound torment, serves to enhance the emotional and psychological portrayal of the characters. Moreover, the writer elucidates their internal contradictions, intensified by the violation of past harmony, leading to an escalation of their mental discord.

Keywords: I. S. Turgenev, I. V. Goethe, tragedy “Faust”, translation, prison scene, Faust and Gretchen

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