George Chapman (Chapman George)

(ca. 1559-1634)
Born in Hitchin (county of Devon). Engaged in classical languages and literature at Oxford University, traveled to Europe for a long time he lived in France, which accounts for its pronounced orientation to French culture.
In 1593 in London, was part of a group of scholars and poets who gathered around him W. Raleigh. By 1598 became the most popular playwright, and at the same time he made his debut as a translator of Homer, having published seven songs Iliad. In 1600 he was imprisoned for debt, where he sent a petition for pardon Lord Chancellor, after which, apparently, was released. Chapman died May 12, 1634.

Chapman characterized by introspection and philosophic. His poetry is overloaded Renaissance learning and only sporadically enlivened lofty maxims and patriotic passages. In 1598 he published a poem continued Kr.Marlo Hero and Leander (Hero and Leander). Written with the obvious aim of giving moral meaning to the product of Marlow, representing a sample of pure love poetry, it is hopelessly losing him in the poetic merits of.

Dramaturgy Chapman worked since the late 1590-ies. Two of his early comedies - The blind beggar of Alexandria (The Blind Beggar From Alexandria, 1596) and the strange Fun Day (An Humorous Day's Mirth, 1597) - are designed to open theaters. In the early 17. He wrote several comedies for the 'Royal Chapel choristers', . playing indoors, among them - May Day (May-Day), . Gentleman Usher (The Gentleman Usher), . All in the cold (All Fools), . D'Oliv Monsieur (Monsieur d'Olive) and widows tears (The Widow's Tears),
. In 1605 he, together with D. Marston and B. Johnson wrote a "Hey, to the east (Eastward Ho!) - A realistic comedy, full of ridicule over the Scots, fellow of King James, because of which the authors went to prison, whence they were rescued by influential friends. The first and most famous tragedy Chapman, . Bussy d'Ambua (Bussy d'Ambois, . 1607), . opens a number of plays, . based on episodes of French history: Conspiracy and Tragedy of Charles, . Duke Biron (The Conspiracy and Tragedy of Charles Duke of Byron, . 1608), . The Revenge of Bussy d'Ambua (The Revenge of Bussy d'Ambois, . app,
. 1610) and the Tragedy of Chabot, Admiral of France (The Tragedy of Chabot Admiral of France, ca. 1613), which was later reworked and put on the stage J. Shirley (1596-1666). In addition, Chapman belongs to Caesar and Pompey (Caesar and Pompey, OK. 1613), and probably play, first published in 1854 under the name Mad Emperor (The Distracted Emperor), and then reissued with a different name - Charles the Great (Charlemagne).

In the comedy Chapman anticipated dzhonsonovskuyu 'comedy of humor, he was tireless in the invention of comic situations. But his tragedy, with the exception d'Ambua Bussy - on the contrary, lack of dynamism, heavy and overloaded sententious rhetoric. Usually they are considered more tragic poems than the tragedies. Chapman is known primarily as a translator of the Iliad and the Odyssey. Although not a professional linguist, he was well educated and thoughtful reader of Homer. For the translation of the Iliad he chose septenary - semiudarny pentameter, and Odysseus turned heroic verse. Following accepted in his era of looking at problems of translation, he was unceremoniously lowered those places that seemed repetitive or incomprehensible, and add your own.