Tetuh 1 Glory-Lieb Tetuh Mrs. Price Honors British Literature 25 October 2011 436-455, Page 40. Norton Anthology.

Page 13-14, Hieatt translation. Beowulf, a cornerstone for English Literature, is a play which has been translated many times. I read Seamus Heaneys and Constance Hieatts translations of Beowulf and I selected the passage in which Beowulf tells Hrothgar how he is going to fight Grendel, and what to do in case he dies in the battle against the fiend. This conversation takes place after Beowulf comes to Hrothgar and offers his help in the fight against Grendel. This passage is important because it shows the reader the personality of the hero. We learn from this passage that not only is Beowulf a realist, but he also has a vision for the future and he plans accordingly. We also witness his confidence when he decides to fight Grendel without any arms because Grendel does not use any arms when he attacks Heorot. This paragraph shows Beowulfs admirable personality. He deals with the prospect of death in such a calm manner that I cant help but wish I had that attitude about death instead of being scared of it. After reading both translations of this passage, it is evident that Seamus Heaneys translation is better. Heaneys translation is easier to understand. He uses diction and syntax better than they are used in the Hieatt translation. When referring to the chain mail that Beowulf wants Hrothgar to send back to Hygelac in case he passes away, Heaney uses the line send back/ this breast-webbing that Weland fashioned(40. 452-53), while Hieatt uses the line Send Hygelac this breast of war garments, finest of mail, which protects my breastthe work of Weland the smith(Hiaett, 14). Heaneys language is shorter and precise whereas Hieatts language is flowery but obscures the meaning of the sentence.

Tetuh 2 Even though Heaney also uses poetic language, he does not do so at the expense of the readers understanding of the play. Heaneys use of verse instead of prose makes his translation better than Hieatts. Because he uses verse, Heaney is able to go straight to the point instead of using a whole sentence to explain one thought. This use of verse also enhances his use of poetic devices. When Beowulf declares that he will not use the sword, Heaney uses the lines I hereby renounce/ sword and the shelter of the broad shield,/ the heavy war-board: handto-hand/ is how it would be (40. 436-39). Hieatt on the other hand says I will scorn to bear a sword or a broad shield to the battle but will grapple against the fiend with my hands and fight for my life, enemy against enemy (Hieatt, 14). The poetic devices especially the caesuras in Heaneys translation are more noticeable. Even though Hieatt uses the same devices, his use of prose make those devices into mere punctuation, so they dont add to the beauty or our understanding of the play. Heaneys use of verse brings the reader as close as possible to understanding how the epic would have sounded when it was sung. The flow and the sound are more defined in his play. Hieatts is just inferior when compared to Heaneys. Beowulf in any translation should keep the basic characteristics of an Anglo Saxon play, one of those main characteristics being that it should be written in unrhymed alliterative verse. Hieatt only uses alliteration once in the whole verse. Seeing as the lines are supposed to be constantly alliterative, her translation is a little disappointing. Heaneys translation however, keeps the core characteristics of an Old English epic- and therefore produces a superior work to Hieatts Beowulf.

Tetuh 3 Works Cited Beowulf. Beowulf and Other Old English Poems. Trans. Constance B. Hieatt. New York: Bantam, 1967.13-14. Oct. 25 2011. Print. Beowulf. The Norton Anthology of English Literature. Trans. Seamus Heaney. 8th ed. Vol. A. New York: W.W. Norton and Company, 2006. 40. Oct. 25 2011. Print.