Le Misanthrope en Grande-Bretagne : enjeux traductologiques d’une fascination contemporaine

In this well documented essay, Marie Nadia Karsky offers a skillfully nuanced comparison of ten significant translations and adaptations of Le Misanthrope written or performed in Great Britain between 1955 and 2013. Using the lens of the transfer process to understand the extraordinary resonance of Molière’s famous comedy across the Channel, her deft stylistic analysis of the dramatic texts shows how the different English-language versions, through their interpretation of the characters, their treatment of the implicit and their use of rhythm, both diverge from and prolong the original. Her study highlights the rich comic potential of this great classic and the remarkable creative capacity of translation and adaptation for the theatre.

Marie Nadia Karsky is Professeure de traduction et traductologie au Département d’Études des Pays Anglophones de l’Université Paris 8 Vincennes-Saint-Denis.

The book will be available for distribution October 1, 2025.