INTERPRETATION OF THE WORD WILL FROM SONNET 135 BY WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE IN FOUR BULGARIAN TRANSLATIONS

Abstract

The paper takes a closer look at four different Bulgarian translations of the word “will“ from sonnet 135 by William Shakespeare. The word itself has numerous meanings, one of them being also the nickname of the poet. This raises many questions when it comes to decoding the text. Translating “will“ has produced various interpretations through the years. The four translators use different and unique tactics to make sense of the wordplay, not only for themselves, but also for the Bulgarian reader. In their attempt they play around and break the boundaries of established semantics. Shakespeare, amongst other things, is famous for his paranomasias, still being the base of many disputes to this day. Sonnet 135 has brought forth a theory that the word “will“, if read subtextually, can indicate errotic intention. This is a well-known hypothesis and one of the many unresolved mysteries surrounding the poet. Whether the translators support this speculation or not is another topic this paper comments on.