Az Eszterházy Károly Tanárképző Főiskola Tudományos Közleményei. 1991. British and American Philologycal Studies (Acta Academiae Paedagogicae Agriensis : Nova series ; Tom. 20)
Tibor Tóth: William Shakespeare's Reception in France and Germany
71 TÓTH TIBOR WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE'S RECEPTION IN FRANCE AND GERMANY Lisez Milton, Shakespeare, Young et vous Verrez, comment la raison Humaine peut devenir a la fois majesteuse et terrible " (Bessenyei György, 1777) The first important step towards a Hungarian translation of the works of Shakespeare was taken by a session of the Hungarian Academy of Science held on the 16th May 1831, when the "Shakespeare Committee" elaborated a list of twenty-two Shakespearean dramas to be translated. The project was met with enthusiasm and resulted in a number of translations having real artistic merit. Arany, Petőfi and Vörösmarty decided to translate the complete works of William Shakespeare. ^ We must not forget, though, the long list of previous attempts to introduce the works of William Shakespeare to the Hungarian public: Most of them were translations or adaptations from German or French translations or adaptations.^ The importance of these translations, adaptations and critical views paved the way for later genuinely artistic translations. Since French and German literature and literary criticism acted as intermediaries for the Hungarian reception of William Shakespeare's dramas it seems necessary to make a short survey of the French and German reception of the Shakesperean heritage. The first important step in the French reception of Shakespeare's works was De la Roche's Dissertation^ on English poetry. The faults De la Roche finds with Shakespeare are in fact his best characteristics. Comparing French drama to the Shakespearean, De la Roche condemns Shakespeare's "lack of taste" (to be identified with his choice of themes). De la Roche states scornfully that Shakespeare does not respect the "sacred measure", dilutes tragedy with comedy and fails to assure the unity of place and time so strictly recquired by classicist rules and taste. On the other hand De la Roche admires Shakespeare for something that cannot be said about him: "He never imitated anyone, all his works sprang from his own imagination, "4 writes the obviously misinformed critic.
