An Essay Toward a History of Shakespeare in Norway

[9. The first Danish translation of Coriolanus by P.F. Wulff appeared in 1819.]

Ewald, Oehlenschlæger, and Foersom had by this time made the blank verse of Shakespeare a commonplace in Dano-Norwegian literature. Even the mediocre could attempt it with reasonable assurance of success. The Coriolanus of 1818 is fairly correct, but its lumbering verse reveals plainly that the translator had trouble with his metre. Two or three examples will illustrate. First, the famous allegory of Menenius:[10]

_Menenius:_ I enten maae erkjende at I ere Heel ondskabsfulde, eller taale, man For Uforstandighed anklager Eder. Et snurrigt Eventyr jeg vil fortælle; Maaskee I har det hørt, men da det tjener Just til min Hensigt, jeg forsøge vil Nøiagtigen det Eder at forklare. . . . . . Jeg Eder det fortælle skal; med et Slags Smil, der sig fra Lungen ikke skrev; Omtrent saaledes--thi I vide maae Naar jeg kan lade Maven tale, jeg Den og