Synopses & Reviews
Euripides was a brilliant and powerful innovator within the traditional framework of Attic drama.
The last of the three great Athenian dramatists, and during his lifetime perhaps the most controversial, Euripides was the first playwright to use the chorus as a commentator; the first to put contemporary language into the mouths of heroes; and the first to interpret human suffering without reference to the wisdom of gods.
The four plays in this volume all show Euripides to have been a man defiant of established beliefs, and preoccupied with the dichotomy between instinctive and civilized behaviour. And his daring interpretations of ancient myths are enhanced by his brilliance as a lyricist, for Euripides' choral odes are among the most beautiful ever written. Reading plays such as these, it is not difficult to appreciate Aristotle's admiration of him as the most 'tragic' of the Greek poets.
Synopsis
Translated by John Davie with an Introduction and Notes by Richard Rutherford.
Synopsis
Four plays by the Greek dramatist who started to interpret human behavior without reference to the wisdom of gods.
Synopsis
Alcestis/Medea/The Children of Heracles/Hippolytus
'One of the best prose translations of Euripides I have seen' Robert Fagles
This selection of plays shows Euripides transforming the titanic figures of Greek myths into recognizable, fallible human beings. Medea, in which a spurned woman takes revenge upon her lover by killing her children, is one of the most shocking of all the Greek tragedies. Medea is a towering figure who demonstrates Euripides' unusual willingness to give voice to a woman's case. Alcestis is based on a magical myth in which Death is overcome, and The Children of Heracles examines conflict between might and right, while Hippolytus deals with self-destructive integrity.
Translated by JOHN DAVIE
Synopsis
Four plays by the Greek dramatist who started to interpret human behavior without reference to the wisdom of gods.
@GoldenFarce Good, the gals stand outside my house all the time. The constant chanting is creepy, but all agree: Jason crossing the line!
When he gets home we’ll talk. I’m sure we can work it out. But what’s the best way to approach this? Any advice, anyone? #wackrelationships
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About the Author
Euripides, the youngest of the three great Athenian playwrights, was born around 485 BC of a family of good standing. He first competed in the dramatic festivals in 455 BC, coming only third; his record of success in the tragic competitions is lower than that of either Aeschylus or Sophocles. There is a tradition that he was unpopular, even a recluse; we are told that he composed poetry in a cave by the sea, near Salamis. What is clear from contemporary evidence, however, is that audiences were fascinated by his innovative and often disturbing dramas. His work was controversial already in his lifetime, and he himself was regarded as a ‘clever’ poet, associated with philosophers and other intellectuals. Towards the end of his life he went to live at the court of Archelaus, king of Macedon. It was during his time there that he wrote what many consider his greates work, the Bacchae. When news of his death reached Athens in early 406 BC, Sophocles appeared publicly in mourning for him. Euripides is thought to have written about ninety-two plays, of which seventeen tragedies and one satyr-play known to be his survive; the other play which is attributed to him, the Rhesus, may in fact be by a later hand.
Table of Contents
Medea and Other Plays General Introduction
Note on the Text
Chronological Table
Translator's Note
Preface to Alcestis
Alcestis
Preface to Medea
Medea
Preface to The Children of Heraclea
The Children of Heracles
Preface to Hippolytus
Hippolytus
Notes
Bibliography
Glossary of Mythological and Geographical Names