JASPER HEYWOOD'S TRANSLATIONS OF SENECAN TRAGEDY

Jasper Heywood was the first to translate into English and publish a complete tragedy of Seneca. His first, Troas, was followed by Thyestes and Hercules Furens. All three translations were reprinted in the famous 1581 edition by Thomas Newton of Seneca His Tenne Tragedies. This paper investigates the way in which Heywood dealt with the Latin originals, from the free version of Troas, to the more literal translation of Hercules Furens. The analysis reveals a pioneering translator experimenting with form and language.