Theorising Tradaptation through an Analysis of Late Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Century Translations of Shakespeare’s 'Comedy of Errors' into Hindi

This event is part of the SOAS CTS Global Seminar Series 2022-23

This is a free event hosted by SOAS Centre for Translation Studies. Please register and we will send you the link to the meeting.

Abstract

The term ‘Tradaptation’ was first articulated by Québécois poet, playwright, and actor Michel Garneau to talk about his 1970s and 80s translations of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, The Tempest, and Coriolanus. In these productions Garneau translated the plays into Québécois French and adapted them to fit a Québécois context. The term foregrounds the politics of translation in a colonial context.

In this presentation I will look at five Hindi translations of Shakespeare’s Comedy of Errors which were published between 1870 and 1920. I will look at how they position themselves in relation to the Shakespearean text and what language they use to describe the tradaptation process. Through this comparison I hope to paint a picture of Hindi translation cultures in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century.

About the speaker

Dr Anandi Rao is a lecturer in South Asian Studies in the School of Languages, Cultures and Linguistics at SOAS, University of London. Her work lies at the intersection of translation studies, Shakespeare studies, gender studies and postcolonial studies. Her work has been published in journals like South Asian Review and Shakespeare Bulletin.