This sorta stems off of what James said in his blog and the comparison of Ovid and Shakespeare. In Jonathan Bates' book, the fourth chapter is titled, Comedy and Metamorphosis. One of the first points he brings up is how to define trans-latio, he settles on the simple, yet definite "it is to make a text from an alien culture speak in the distinctive language of the translator's culture" (Blight, 131). This is because a trans-latio can be done in any language; where the typical word is translation Blight uses trans-latio to emphasize the use of latin within Ovid and Shakespeare, two authors who are able to take a simple language and complicate it while also showing the beauty of simplicity with the words used. He continues to explain how imitation is an important part of translation because it incorporates part of the culture into the rewritten and 'modernized' "is how the classics are kept alive" (Blight, 131). It is "where Ovid found causes in gods and ancient stories, Shakespeare finds in contemporary history" (140) the stories are unique because the author's ability uses the time period they lived in to emphasize the intended purpose of their words. Whether this is done through A Midsummer Night's Dream where the use of the fairies (Bottom as Cupid) to give a understanding to the surreal feeling love gives a person. This is because Shakespeare, "invites us to consider the possibility that the love-gods are no more than a dream, something we invent to help us understand erotic love, which comes wholly from within" (135). This is what influences authors like Shakespeare and Ovid; to explain the unknown. Ovid writes hundreds of stories about gods and mere mortals that have affected how the earth is "run" whether it is how man is motivated by Narcissistic needs/wants or North Koreans believe Kim-Jong Il's birth in the Baekdu Mountain was prophesied by a swallow and brought about the change of winter to spring with the birth of Kim-Jong Il and a new star (which neeever happens).
Blight continues, "In reading the hounds as an image of Actaeon's own desires, Shakespeare is following the tradition interpretation of the myth" this is followed by a reference to Samuel Daniels' Delia in which he makes a reference to Actaeon being hunted by his dogs in the 12th line...
Samuel Daniels' Delia
Blight says this is a reference to, "Shakespeare's allusion economically suggests the exact sense of self-consuming passion that will recur through the play" (146) whereas I believe this is a statement about how mankind is always consumed by a self-imposed passion to improve our personal life. It does not have to require an actual decision to be narcissistic but it happens naturally, this is what creates the survival of fittest culture. When it came down to it during the 'Black Death Plague;' Shakespeare gave up being a playwright because there was no one to perform these plays for; equating to no income. Instead he decided to create his own form of a sonnet which he would be able to sell without risking his own infection of the plague.
Blight follows this by stating, "The pun concentrates the double identity of Malvolio as Narcissus (the self-obsessed 'I') and Actaeon (the desiring 'eye')" (147).
Another interesting fact that Blight raises is "A Midsummer Night's Dream, saves himself through his own musical art. In Twelfth Night, too, the power of music-as embodied in the name Viola- calms emotional storms and restores harmony. It is noteworthy in this respect that the name of Cadmus' wife, though not mentioned by Ovid, is Harmonia" (145)..."But Viola redeems the play because she proves to be selfless, not selfish, in love. She becomes Echo instead of Narcissus" (148).
Aloe Blacc
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