ANALYSIS OF THE ROMANIAN TRANSLATION OF A FEW CHIASMI IN SHAKESPEARE’S MEASURE FOR MEASURE

Abstract

This paper discusses the Romanian translation of a few chiasmi in Measure for Measure. It proposes an interpretation of Shakespeare’s use of these chiastic structures in the play, and examines the form, the structure, and the effect of these chiastic structures after the translation. Since Measure for Measure inspires meditation through the idea of appeasing justice with mercy in the application of the law, but shows no limitation of the application of justice by mitigating it with mercy, the happy ending appears as an artifice of the Duke. This paper views the use of chiasmi as a means of enabling the audience to achieve a mental transfer from the worldly to the spiritual, in order enable it to understand the play in relation to the teachings of the Bible without mentioning such precepts as such, and discusses whether and to what extent the effect of this transfer is retained in translation.