Euripides

Average customer rating:

Family love and hate
Whose got a mop?
simple, clear, beautiful

Grief Lessons: Four Plays by Euripides (New York Review Books Classics)
Euripides
Manufacturer: NYRB Classics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Greek & Roman | Drama | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Drama | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Greek | Classics | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Art Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Entertainment Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Fiction Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

If Not, Winter: Fragments of Sappho
Decreation
Eros the Bittersweet
The Aeneid
Autobiography of Red

ASIN: 1590171802
Release Date: 2006-08-01

Book Description

Euripides, the last of the three great tragedians of ancient Athens, reached the height of his renown during the disastrous Peloponnesian War, when democratic Athens was brought down by its own outsized ambitions. “Euripides,” the classicist Bernard Knox has written, “was born never to live in peace with himself and to prevent the rest of mankind from doing so.” His plays were shockers: he unmasked heroes, revealing them as foolish and savage, and he wrote about the powerless—women and children, slaves and barbarians—for whom tragedy was not so much exceptional as unending. Euripides’ plays rarely won first prize in the great democratic competitions of ancient Athens, but their combustible mixture of realism and extremism fascinated audiences throughout the Greek world. In the last days of the Peloponnesian War, Athenian prisoners held captive in far-off Sicily were said to have won their freedom by reciting snatches of Euripides’ latest tragedies.

Four of those tragedies are here presented in new translations by the contemporary poet and classicist Anne Carson. They are Herakles, in which the hero swaggers home to destroy his own family; Hekabe, set after the Trojan War, in which Hektor’s widow takes vengeance on her Greek captors; Hippolytos, about love and the horror of love; and the strange tragic-comedy fable Alkestis, which tells of a husband who arranges for his wife to die in his place. The volume also contains brief introductions by Carson to each of the plays along with two remarkable framing essays: “Tragedy: A Curious Art Form” and “Why I Wrote Two Plays About Phaidra.”

Customer Reviews:

Family love and hate.......2007-01-12

This translation of four plays by Euripedes is brilliant, clean and clear, without pretension. It offers the direct gaze of an Athenian at human emotion and human fate, which is considered a matter of luck more than character. For the Athenians matters of state and import are rooted in the family, where everything begins.

Whose got a mop?.......2006-11-10

There is so much blood letting in these plays I would hate to be the stage manager. What a clean up after every performance.
Seriously folks...
The plays are spellbinding. The insights into what motivates human beings are brilliant. I enjoyed reading these plays 10 times more than I ever thought I would. I read the review inThe New Yorker and thought I'd take a chance. (I don't normally read the classics)
I gave it to my wife who loved the plays as well.
Great job.

simple, clear, beautiful.......2006-09-08

I've owned copies of Euripides all my life and never got around to reading them, but when Grief Lessons came across my desk last week, I was compelled to read straight through it. The title alone speaks of Carson's special talent for reaching the heart of the matter. Grief Lessons. The layout of her character's dialogue, too, flows back and forth along the margins of the page so that your eye moves easily down the text. The characters speak simply, without flourishes, without annoying Victorian poetic touches. Grief Lessons opens up Euripides to you so clearly that you can hear the characters weeping and shouting at each other on the stage of your mind. At the same time, so simple is Carson's translation that her words have an open ended flexibility that let you imagine them being pitched almost any way. Is Admetus a typical egocentric or an oaf? I'd always felt sorry for Hippolytus, cursed unfairly by his father. Now I'd like to curse him myself. I've never seen pomposity in a youth so clearly shown in a play. Moreover, Euripides lived at the end of Greece's golden age. His cynicism of the gods and heroes plays very appropriately on the stage of today.

Alcestis (Greek Tragedy in New Translations)

Average customer rating:

The closest thing we have to a Greek satyr play
Offer you this treat!

Alcestis (Greek Tragedy in New Translations)
Euripides
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Greek & Roman | Drama | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Drama | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Greek | Classics | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Classics | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Medicine | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Fiction Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Nonfiction Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Reference Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Science Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Qualifying Textbooks - Spring 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Euripides' Bacchae, Focus Classical Library
Greek Tragic Theatre (Theatre Production Studies)
Oedipus the King (Enriched Classics)
Sophocles' Philoktetes (Focus Classical Library)
Alcestis: A Play

ASIN: 0195061667

Book Description

At once a vigorous translation of one of Euripides' most subtle and witty plays, and a wholly fresh interpretation, this version reveals for the first time the extraordinary formal beauty and thematic concentration of the Alcestis. William Arrowsmith, eminent classical scholar, translator, and General Editor of this highly praised series, rejects the standard view of the Alcestis as a psychological study of the egotist Admetos and his naive but devoted wife. His translation, instead, presents the play as a drama of human existence--in keeping with the tradition of Greek tragedy--with recognizably human characters who also represent masked embodiments of human conditions. The Alcestis thus becomes a metaphysical tragicomedy in which Admetos, who has heretofore led a life without limitations, learns to "think mortal thoughts." He acquires the knowledge of limits--the acceptance of death as well as the duty to live--which, according to Euripides, makes people meaningfully human and capable of both courage and compassion. This new interpretation compellingly argues that, for Euripides, suffering humanizes, that exemption makes a man selfish and childish, and that only the courage to accept both life and death leads to the realization of one's humanity, and, in the case of Alcestis, to heroism.

Customer Reviews:

The closest thing we have to a Greek satyr play.......2003-02-03

"Alcestis" is the oldest surviving play of Euripides, although he had been writing tragedies for almost twenty years when it was written. Apparently it ws the fourth play in a tetralogy, taking the place of the ribald satyr play which traditionally followed a series of three tragedies. Consequently, this play has more of a burlesque tone, best represented in the drunken speech of Heracles to the butler and his teasing of Admetus at the end. So while "Alcestis" is a tragedy, it does offer up an unusal happy ending.

In Greek mythology Alcestis was the daughter of Pelias and wife of Admetus, an Argonaut and the king of Pherae. In Western literature Alcestis is the model wife, for when her husband is to die she alone agrees to die in his place. However, the key in this drama is how Admetus finds this sacrifice totally acceptable. Admetus is represented as a good and honorable man, but then his ethos is established in this play by the god Apollo in the opening scene, and even though it was written later it is hard not to remember the expose Euripides did on the god of truth in "Ion." Euripides adds a key twist in that Alcestis agrees to the sacrifice before she fully understands that her husband will suffer without her. She is brought back from the underworld by Heracles and restored to her relieved husband, but the play clearly characterizes Admetus as a selfish man and it is this view that other writers have imitated every since.

The story of Alcestis has been addressed by more modern writers from Chaucer and Milton to Browning and Eliot. The sacrifice of Alcestis has also been the subject of several operas. "Alcestis" is not a first rate play by Euripides, but it does represent both his cynicism and his attempt to make the audience confront the problematic elements of its belief system. So while I would not teach "Alcestis" by itself, in conjunction with other play by Euripides, specifically "Ion," it can definitely have value in class.

Offer you this treat!.......1998-09-02

Alcestis was the first Greek tragedy I read, and it is still the one I love most, though Ajax and both Iphigenias are tough competitors. Heracles, a.k.a. Hercules, accepts hospitality at a home where, unknown to him, the housewife, Alcestis, is being mourned. He drinks and raises hell (the pun will be noticed by he who reads the play!). Informed of the tragedy, much embarrassed, he decides to add a new task to his tight schedule: bringing back the lady. This is a tragedy that ends well. Actually, it runs well all the time, being one of the greatest creation of human imagination.

The Complete Greek Tragedies: Euripides V

Average customer rating:

Excellent for undergraduates
What Electra Complex?

The Complete Greek Tragedies: Euripides V
Euripides
Manufacturer: University Of Chicago Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Greek & Roman | Drama | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Drama | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Classical & Early | Drama | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Fiction Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Qualifying Textbooks - Spring 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

The Complete Greek Tragedies: Euripides I (The Complete Greek Tragedies)
The Complete Greek Tragedies: Sophocles I (The Complete Greek Tragedies, Vol 1)
Aeschylus I: Oresteia (The Complete Greek Tragedies)
The Complete Greek Tragedies: Euripides II
The Complete Greek Tragedies: Euripides IV (The Complete Greek Tragedies)

ASIN: 0226307840

Book Description

In nine paperback volumes, the Grene and Lattimore editions offer the most comprehensive selection of the Greek tragedies available in English. Over the years these authoritative, critically acclaimed editions have been the preferred choice of over three million readers for personal libraries and individual study as well as for classroom use.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent for undergraduates.......2000-05-15

A readable translation of the plays of Euripides. Enough historical background is given in the foreword and the introductions to each play that the reader has a better grasp of the meaning of the play to those who viewed in antiquity. A bit conservative in the translation at times but nonetheless well done.

What Electra Complex?.......2000-05-08

Euripides V contains some of the most popular and famous tragedies by the Greek playwrite Euripiedes. Electra, the first play, is a must for anyone studying or interested in mythology and tragedies. The Phoenician Women adn The Bacchae are also wonderful plays that prime examples of what Greek tragedies are all about. Even if this is your first time reading tragedies, as was mine, the introduction by Grene and Lattimore pave the road for the stories.

The Complete Greek Tragedies: Euripides II

Average customer rating:

rare translation

The Complete Greek Tragedies: Euripides II
Euripides
Manufacturer: University Of Chicago Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Greek & Roman | Drama | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Drama | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Classical & Early | Drama | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Fiction Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Qualifying Textbooks - Spring 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

The Complete Greek Tragedies: Euripides IV (The Complete Greek Tragedies)
The Complete Greek Tragedies: Euripides III (The Complete Greek Tragedies)
The Complete Greek Tragedies: Euripides I (The Complete Greek Tragedies)
The Complete Greek Tragedies: Euripides V
The Complete Greek Tragedies: Sophocles II (The Complete Greek Tragedies)

ASIN: 0226307816

Book Description

Customer Reviews:

rare translation.......2000-05-15

This edition of the Euripides plays contains the rarely read "Cyclops", not a great play but important nevertheless to a complete understanding of Euripides or Greek drama in my opinion. Just as the other translations in this series is rather conservative, so too is this edition. A good, reasonably priced version for undergraduate classes.

The Complete Greek Tragedies: Euripides III (The Complete Greek Tragedies)

Average customer rating:

Nicely organized

The Complete Greek Tragedies: Euripides III (The Complete Greek Tragedies)
Euripides
Manufacturer: University Of Chicago Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Greek & Roman | Drama | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Classical & Early | Drama | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Greek | Classics | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Fiction Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Qualifying Textbooks - Spring 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

The Complete Greek Tragedies: Euripides II
The Complete Greek Tragedies: Euripides IV (The Complete Greek Tragedies)
The Complete Greek Tragedies: Euripides V
The Complete Greek Tragedies: Euripides I (The Complete Greek Tragedies)
The Complete Greek Tragedies: Sophocles II (The Complete Greek Tragedies)

ASIN: 0226307824

Book Description

"These authoritative translations consign all other complete collections to the wastebasket."--Robert Brustein, The New Republic

"This is it. No qualifications. Go out and buy it everybody."--Kenneth Rexroth, The Nation

"The translations deliberately avoid the highly wrought and affectedly poetic; their idiom is contemporary....They have life and speed and suppleness of phrase."--Times Education Supplement

"These translations belong to our time. A keen poetic sensibility repeatedly quickens them; and without this inner fire the most academically flawless rendering is dead."--Warren D. Anderson, American Oxonian

"The critical commentaries and the versions themselves...are fresh, unpretentious, above all, functional."--Commonweal

"Grene is one of the great translators."--Conor Cruise O'Brien, London Sunday Times

"Richmond Lattimore is that rara avis in our age, the classical scholar who is at the same time an accomplished poet."--Dudley Fitts, New York Times Book Review

Customer Reviews:

Nicely organized.......2000-05-15

The third in this series of translation of Greek drama has the same basic flaws as the others: conservative translation. But also like the others it is very readable and affordable. I also liked the fact that these plays were organized so that the stories are shown in their interconnected fashion. An audience member in ancient Greece would have this full background and thus it is a wonderful ideas for the modern reader to take time and at least read all the introductions before beginning any one text.

The Complete Greek Tragedies: Euripides IV (The Complete Greek Tragedies)

Average customer rating:

another rare play

The Complete Greek Tragedies: Euripides IV (The Complete Greek Tragedies)
Euripides
Manufacturer: University Of Chicago Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Greek & Roman | Drama | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Drama | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Classical & Early | Drama | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Fiction Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Qualifying Textbooks - Spring 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

The Complete Greek Tragedies: Euripides II
The Complete Greek Tragedies: Euripides III (The Complete Greek Tragedies)
The Complete Greek Tragedies: Euripides V
The Complete Greek Tragedies: Euripides I (The Complete Greek Tragedies)
The Complete Greek Tragedies: Sophocles II (The Complete Greek Tragedies)

ASIN: 0226307832

Book Description

Customer Reviews:

another rare play.......2000-05-15

This fourth book in the Euripides series gives the reader another fairly rare play: Rhesus. Readable translation that is easily affordable with good general introductions. A bit too conservative in translation at points.

The Complete Greek Tragedies: Euripides I (The Complete Greek Tragedies)

Average customer rating:

Three breath-taking Greek tragedies!
Euripides plays about Hercules, Jason, and Theseus
Cyclops and gargoyles oh my!

The Complete Greek Tragedies: Euripides I (The Complete Greek Tragedies)
Euripides
Manufacturer: University Of Chicago Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Greek & Roman | Drama | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Classical & Early | Drama | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Greek | Classics | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Fiction Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Qualifying Textbooks - Spring 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

The Complete Greek Tragedies: Sophocles I (The Complete Greek Tragedies, Vol 1)
The Complete Greek Tragedies: Euripides V
Aeschylus I: Oresteia (The Complete Greek Tragedies)
The Complete Greek Tragedies: Euripides II
The Complete Greek Tragedies: Sophocles II (The Complete Greek Tragedies)

ASIN: 0226307808

Book Description

Customer Reviews:

Three breath-taking Greek tragedies!.......2005-04-20

This is a review for three of Euripides' plays - "Medea", "Hippolytus" and "The Bacchae". If you are interested in Greek tragedy, you must read some of Euripides' plays. His work is as different as can be from some of the others (like Sophocles and Aescylus.) Contrary to these other two, Euripides did not abandon the religious view of life, but he redirected it and found the values which evoke reverence in spheres other than in moral spheres. The moral sphere, in his view, belonged exclusively to man. The gods, according to Euripides, are not man's friend, nor enemy, nor moral guides. They are the unchangeable facts of existence like sun, wind, rain, the sea and fire. He also has very definite views of the place that women must keep in society, and he states in no uncertain terms that they should not rise above their station. In "Medea," we are introduced to a complex and dynamic heroine villainess. She takes us through the whole gamut of human emotions. We see how she reduces the masculine elements to nothing in this play in her handling of Jason. In "Hippolytus" we see a wrong committed by one man against another and it results in true repentance and forgiveness. We also see another strong female character in Phaedra, and Euripides presents her sad case with truth and candor. "The Bacchae" is my favourite of the three, and it is a complex and disturbing drama. We get a good look at Euripides' ideas of what a god is like in his portrayal of Dionysus. We see how the gods are driven past all reason to achieve justice for past slights. There is no forgiveness in this play. I would love to see this play acted. It would be stunning.

Euripides plays about Hercules, Jason, and Theseus.......2003-04-07

Volume I of "The Complete Greek Tragedies" of Euripides offers the playwrights rather unique view on some of the greatest heroes of Greek Mythology: Hercules, Jason, and Theseus.

"Alcestisý (translated by Richard Lattimore) is the oldest surviving play of Euripides and the closest thing we have to an extant example of a satyr play. Consequently, this play has more of a burlesque tone, best represented in the drunken speech of Hercules to the butler and his teasing of Admetus at the end. Alcestis was the model wife of Admetus, for when her husband is to die she alone agrees to die in his place. However, the key in this drama is how Admetus finds this sacrifice totally acceptable. Admetus is represented as a good and honorable man, but then his ethos is established in this play by the god Apollo in the opening scene, and even though it was written later it is hard not to remember the expose Euripides did on the god of truth in "Ion." Euripides adds a key twist in that Alcestis agrees to the sacrifice before she fully understands that her husband will suffer without her. She is brought back from the underworld by Hercules and restored to her relieved husband, but the play clearly characterizes Admetus as a selfish man.

ýMedeaý (trans. Rex Warner) is not really about infanticide, but rather about how "foreignersý were treated in Greece, best seen in the odes of the Chorus of Corinthian Women. The other key component of the play is the psychology of Medea and the way in which she constructs events to help convince herself to do the unspeakable deed and kill the two sons she has borne Jason. There is a very real sense in which Jason is the true villain of the piece and I do not think there is a comparable example in the extant Greek tragedies remain wherein a major mythological hero is made to look as bad as Euripides does in this play. The audience remembers the story of the Quest for the Golden Fleece and how Medea betrayed her family and her native land to help Jason. In some versions of the story Medea goes so far as to kill her brother, chop up his body, and throw it into the sea so their father, the King of Colchis, must stop his pursuit of the Argo to retrieve the body of his son. However, as a foreigner Medea is not allowed to a true wife to Jason, and when he has the opportunity to improve his fortune by marrying the princess of Corinth, Medea and everything she had done for him are quickly forgotten. To add insult to injury, Jason assures Medea that his sons will be well treated at the court while the King of Corinth, worried that the sorceress will seek vengeance, banishes her from the land. Within this context Medea constructs the fate of herself and her children.

"The Heracleidae" (trans. Ralph Gladstone) is usually been a minor political play by Euripides. It tells of how the children of Hercules were exiled by from their home by the murderous King Eurystheus of Argos. After their father's death the children and their mother fled from country to country in search of sanctuary until, of course, they came to Athens. At first, the Athenians are reluctant to grant asylum, since Eurystheus might bring political and military strife on the city. But Demophon, King of Athens, agrees to admit them. Indeed, the army of Eurystheus surrounds the city and the oracles declares that the safety of Athens depends on the sacrifice of a virgin. Macaria, one of the daughters of Hercules, offers herself as the sacrificial victim. The play has usually been considered to be nothing more than a glorification of Athens, but, of course, in more contemporary terms it is worth reconsidering this Greek tragedy as a look at the problem of political refugees; consequently, ýThe Heracleidaeý works well as an analog to ýMedea.ý

"Hippolytus" (trans. David Grene) opens with Aphrodite declaring her power over all mankind and her intention to ruin Hippolytus, the son of Theseus and Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons, because he alone has had the audacity to scorn love. Instead, the young prince has devoted himself to hunting and Artemis, the chaste goddess of the hunt. As the instrument of Hippolytus' downfall, Aphrodite selects his stepmother Phaedra, by making her fall in love with him. What becomes interesting in Euripides' telling of the tale is how Phaedra resists the will of Aphrodite, having resolved to starve herself to death rather than ever reveal her infatuation. However, Phaedra's secret is revealed when in a state of semi-delirium she confesses to her nursm who, out of love for Phaedra, tries to solicit an appropriate response from a horrified Hippolytus. Mortified that her secret is now known, Phaedra hands herself, but trying to spare the reputation of her children she leaves a note accusing Hippolytus of having tried to rape her. When Theseus returns from a long journey only to find his wife dead at her own hand and his son implicated in her suicide, he pronounces a deadly curse upon Hippolytus. Ironically, despite his fate, Hippolytus is not a sympathetic figure and it is Phaedra who becomes the truly tragic character in the tale. Another consideration is the portrayal of Theseus, generally accounted the wisest and best of the heroes of classical mythology. Yet in this story the man whose objectivity and sense of fairness made him give Oedipus a resting place indulges in an angry impulse worthy of Hercules. Again, the irreverance of Euripides towards the gods and their offspring remains the uniting theme of this collection.

Cyclops and gargoyles oh my!.......2000-10-25

Tradgedy? Oh yes, that is exactly what to expect! Wonderfully written, and appealing for the time period, Euripides' work is as curious as marvelous. This book includes stories of cyclops and Greek heroes bound to make readers excited. Some of the stories are commonly known, but most are'nt. Helen, and Hercules are some of the included tales placed in this book. Know about Ion? Don't know? I suggest you read this book, because it is designed to insite the curiosity and engross most readers. The stories are all timeless and interesting, written by a man that was a genious for his time.

Average customer rating:

The Greatest Play Extant!
Modernized, but Helpful
Down to Earth Cosmicness
One of the best translations out there
Foolish Pentheus does not welcome Dionysius to Thebes

Bacchae
Euripides
Manufacturer: Hackett Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Greek & Roman | Drama | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Drama | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Medieval | Classics | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Classics | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Fiction Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Reference Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books

Qualifying Textbooks - Spring 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Odyssey
The Homeric Hymns
Works and Days and Theogony
Prometheus Bound (Greek Tragedy in New Translations)
Aeschylus I: Oresteia (The Complete Greek Tragedies)

ASIN: 0872203921

Book Description

Cambridge Translations from Greek Drama aims to eliminate the boundary between classics students and drama students. Euripides: Bacchae is the second in the series, and is aimed at college level students in North America. Features of the book include full commentary running alongside the translation, notes on pronunciation and a plot synopsis. Background information is also provided, along with suggestions to encourage discussion.

Customer Reviews:

The Greatest Play Extant!.......2007-06-23

Dionysos returns to the city of his birth, anxious for those honors which are due him. Pentheus, current ruler of Thebes and a cousin of our hero, doesn't accept him. Pentheus finds out he made a really bad mistake, when he ends up at the top of a pine tree! What more could you ask for? Euripides' masterpiece is a great as ever, and for the price it can't be beat.

Highest rating!

Modernized, but Helpful.......2006-11-16

This translation is more modernized, making for an easy read. The pages are set up with the translation on the right and explanations about concepts and themes on the left. The explanations are insightful and did benefit me. I would suggest this version for high school students or for leisure, but I suggest a more true to the text translation for higher education.

Down to Earth Cosmicness.......2005-07-04

After having my eyes opened by Willaims' translation, I decided to revisit Rudall's work. While Williams is poetic and prone to flights of fancy, Rudall is more down to earth, which is appropriate for a god like Dionysus.

Yes he is a god of frenzy, but he is also a god of dying. I think this is why dance is sacred to him. Dance feels gravity's pull, leaps against it, succumbs to it, and leaps yet again. Life that is tied to the earth tries to transcend it, and struggles until it falls exhausted to the ground, only to rise and struggle again. It ain't all about exaultation, but is also about falling down.

Williams' translation sometimes flies away like a flock of pretty birds. Rudall keeps pulling us back to earth, back to the mysteries, and helps us plumb the depths of this play's truths. He doesn't let a bunch of pretties get in the way. He makes sure we see Everything.

One of the best translations out there.......2003-06-11

I am a classical history major with a focus on poetry and drama. I have actually read Bacchae in Attic Greek and I have to say that I find this translation to be one of the most fluid and natural of any that I have ever read. I would highky recommend this to anyone looking for a well-written, very gory introduction to Greek theatre. This edition is also great for using as a script, wheras many translations are good only for reading. I just put up a production using this translation and my actors were very comfortable with the wonderful language Woodruff uses.

Foolish Pentheus does not welcome Dionysius to Thebes.......2003-05-01

"The Bacchae" was written by Euripides when he was living in Macedonia in virtual exile during the last years of his life. The tragedy was performed in Athens after his death. These factors are important in appreciate this particular Greek tragedy because such plays were performed at a festival that honored the Dionysus, and in "The Bacchae" he is the god who extracts a horrible vengeance. The tragedy clearly demonstrates the god's power, but it is a terrible power, which suggests less than flattering things about the deity himself.

Pentheus was the son of Echion and Agave, the daughter of Cadmus, the founder of the Royal House of Thebes. After Cadmus stepped down the throne, Pentheus took his place as king of Thebes. When the cult of Dionysus came to Thebes, Pentheus resisted the worship of the god in his kingdom. However, his mother and sisters were devotees of the god and went with women of the city to join in the Dionsysian revels on Mount Cithaeron. Pentheus had Dionysus captured, but the god drove the king insane, who then shackled a bull instead of the god. When Pentheus climbed a tree to witness in secret the reverly of the Bacchic women, he was discovered and torn to pieces by his mother and sisters, who, in their Bacchic frenzy, believed him to be a wild beast. The horrific action is described in gory detail by a messenger, which is followed by the arrival of the frenzied and bloody Agave, the head of her son fixed atop her thytsus.

Unlike those stories of classical mythology which are at least mentioned in the writings of Homer, the story of Pentheus originates with Euripides. The other references in classical writing, the "Idylls" written by the Syracusean poet Theocritus and the "Metamorphoses" of the Latin poet Ovid, both post-date"The Bacchae" by centuries. On those grounds, the tragedy of Euripides would appear to be entirely his construct, which would certainly give it an inherent uniqueness over his interpretations of the stories of "Medea," "Electra," and "The Trojan Women."

Book Description

The first playwright of democracy, Euripides wrote with enduring insight and biting satire about social and political problems of Athenian life. In contrast to his contemporaries, he brought an exciting--and, to the Greeks, a stunning--realism to the "pure and noble form" of tragedy. For the first time in history, heroes and heroines on the stage were not idealized: as Sophocles himself said, Euripides shows people not as they ought to be, but as they actually are.

Customer Reviews:

One of the greatest greek dramatist.......2006-04-10

10 beautiful and powerful plays by a man whose genius can still be felt today

The evolution of drama.......2005-12-20

Some reviewers say that Euripides is not strictly a tragedian in the Greek sense, but a playwright who took Greek drama to a next level of development. I agree, and this can be seen both in structural and styilistic innovations, as well as in the way of treating his subjects, remarkably the Gods, myths, religion and the situation of women. Maybe that's why he was the least successful of the three known Greek "tragedians", the other two being Aeschylus and Sophocles. Structural and styilistic innovations include the opening monologue in which one of the characters explains the situation such as it is at the beginning of the action. Other ones are: a lesser use of the Chorus and the treatment of the final deus-ex-machina. But in my view, the most important aspect of his dramas is the controversial stance he takes against traditions and myths. If Aschylus lives in a world of gods, heroes and titans, and if Sophocles is the great tragedian of Fate, glory, downfall and grandilocuent suffering, for Euripides humans are just humans and the gods are, in the best case, distant, cruel and frivolous entities. With Euripides, it is not so much Fate but every individual's decisions which decide their fortune. He also exposes crudely the disadvantaged situation of women, hand-tied by laws and traditions which preclude their human development. Finally, for him war is not an opportunity for glory, but only destruction, misery and disgrace. War does not purify or ennoble, it just destroys and saddens. In spite of this vision, his plays do not entirely lack a sense of humor, even if it's black humor. Some of the plays included in this volume are:

"Alcestis", a good example of Euripides's anti-tragedy which begins sad and ends joyful. Alcestis volunteers to die instead of her husband, Admetus (whose own parents refuse to sacrifice for him). Admetus has to be one of the most despicable characters in literature. In the end, a drunk Hercules saves the woman and all ends well (more or less).

"Medea" is the terrifyingly cruel story of Jason's wife, who goes mad at his infidelities and punishes him by murdering their children. Chilly.

"Hippolytus", which is more properly a tragedy in the old style. Here the gods do intervene decisively: Aphrodite inspires in Phaedra a lustful love for her stepson, Hippolytus. When the boy finds out about it, he sternly rejects the idea and Phaedra kills herself. She lefts behind a letter accusing Hippolytus of having tried to seduce her, which brings about the boy's death.

"Andromache", a drama about jealousy in which Hector's widow is about to die at the hands of her raptor's wife (the raptor is Neoptolemus, Achilles's son). In the end, she is saved by the wisdom and mercy of Achilles's father.

"Ion", apocryhphal son of Apollo, who is adopted by another man and made priest of his true father's temple (he ignores his true lineage).

"The Trojan Women", where the cruel deaths of Priamus's children are told.

"Electra", very different from the one written by Aeschylus where Electra is a hysterical crazy. Here, she is a cold and firm avenger.

"Ifigenia among the Taurus", where the supposedly sacrificed daughter of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra appears as the guardian of Artemisa's temple in the country of the Taurus, nowadays Crimea. Her brother Orestes arrives to the place with his friend Pilades, escaping from the cruel Erinnis (deities in charge of punishing parricide or matricide). His goal is to steal the statuette of the godess in order to perform some ritual of atonement for his sins. Brother and sister recognize each other and run away together. This isn't either a proper tragedy, but more of a farce.

Euripides laid down the basis for what would be modern drama. The plays are quite good and relevant and so completely recommended.

Ten plays by Euripides, the first playwright of democracy.......2003-07-25

Euripides was the youngest and the least successful of the great triad of Greek tragic poets. Criticized by the conservatives of his time for introducing shabby heroes and immoral women into his plays, his plays were ridiculed by Aristophanes in "The Frogs." His plays exhibited his iconoclastic, rationalizing attitude toward the ancient myths that were the subject matter for Greek drama. For Euripides the gods were irrational and petulant, while heroes had flawed natures and uncontrolled passions that made them ultimately responsible for their tragic fates. Ultimately, your standard Euripides tragedy offers meaningless suffering upon which the gods look with complete indifference (until they show up at the end as the deux ex machina). However, today Euripides is considered the most popular of the Greek playwrights and is considered by many to be the father of modern European drama.

This volume does not include all of the extant plays of Euripides (we believe he authored 92 plays, 19 of which have survived), but what are arguably the ten most important: "Alcestis," "Medea," "Hippolytus," "Andromache," "Ion," "Trojan Women," "Electra," "Iphigenia Among the Taurians," "The Bacchants," and "Iphigenia at Aulis." The translations by Moses Hadas and John McLean are not as literate as you will find elsewhere, but they are eminently functional and make this volume one of the most cost-effective ways of providing students an opportunity to study the work of a great dramatist.

After reading several Euripides tragedies several things emerge in our understanding of his work. First, he has a unique structure for his plays decidedly different from those of Aeschylus and Sophocles. Usually the play begins with a monologue that provides the necessary exposition regarding the situation with which the characters are confronted. At the end of the play a god usually descends from heaven to provide an epilogue to say what happens afterwards (e.g., "Hippolytus"). Second, Euripides is much more interested in the dynamic interaction of his characters than the role of the chorus. The stasimons and occasional monodies are more what exists between scenes for Euripides instead of an opportunity to comment upon the story as with Aeschylus (e.g., "Agamemnon"). Third, the idea that Euripides is a misogynist just does not bear up under even a basic reading of these plays. This misconception might stem from our understanding of the culture of the times, because the "worst" thing you can say about the women of Euripides is that they are realistic characters.

Fourth and most importantly, clearly Euripides is at his best when there is a political agenda embedded in his story. "The Trojan Women" offers a fascinating counterpoint to the reactions of those same characters at the end of the "Iliad" when Hector's body is returned to Troy, but Euripides is not concerned with commenting on Homer but rather on the Athenian destruction of the city of Melos, which had tried to stay neutral in the Peloponnesian War (compare this with Euripides in a patriotic mode in "Andromache"). Much more is made of Euripides irreverence towards the gods (e.g., "The Bacchants"), however I think his greatness lies not in being an atheist but in being a strong advocate of democratic principles (e.g., the treatment of foreigners at the heart of "Medea"). Hadas reinforces this latter idea in his translations, admitting that for the modern reader it might be better to think of Euripides "as a pamphleteer rather than a poet." Still, Hadas emphasizes that despite the parodies provided by Aristophanes, Euripides was a great poet. Furthermore, Hadas is committed to keeping the translations as poetry rather than prose.

But there is also a sense in which Euripides provides psychological insights into his characters as much as Sophocles, who usually gets the edge in that respect because Freud derived the Oedipal and Electra complexes from his writings. Even though there was a limit of only three characters on stage at a time, Euripides would often made one of these characters, such as the nurse in "Hippolytus" or Pylades (friend of Orestes in both "Electra" and "Iphigenia Among the Taurains"), a normal person, who served as a means for showing the profoundly disturbed nature of the tragic hero.

Reading a single Euripides play is not going to make the validity of any or all of these points clear, but if you read most of these ten plays you should come to similar conclusions. I still like to use Euripides in bracket Homer's "Iliad," looking at the way he presages the conflict between Achilles and Agamemnon in "Iphigenia at Aulis," and the fate of "The Trojan Women," but there is much value to studying the plays of Euripides on their own terms. Granted, you can find better (i.e., more "modern") translations, but finding ten Euripides plays in one volume is going to be impossible and/or expensive.

More a dramatist, less a tragedian.......2003-05-19

Euripides is not a definitive tragedian (in the Aristotelian notion) like his contemporary Sophocles; although he mines the same subject matter, he exhibits a number of stylistic differences and peculiarities. His plays tend to begin with a single character delivering a soliloquy that introduces the background of the story, and he makes frequent use of a "deus ex machina" at the end in order to set things right, or as right as they can be.

The biggest difference between Sophocles and Euripides is their approach to tragedy. Sophocles uses tragedy as an enhancement of nobility, an illumination of heroic dignity and grandeur; to Euripides it is just ugly, crude, and awkward, like a ketchup stain on your shirt. Tragedy elevates the Sophoclean hero to a state of fearsome awe, but it merely reduces the Euripidean hero to an object of pity and even derision. In this sense Euripides is more of a realist and a humanist, and therefore more modern.

Euripides's plays transform classical mythology not into morality lessons but into drama in a very basic, empathic mode. He makes the most of every dramatic situation: Medea, who kills her children to punish her unfaithful husband Jason; Hector's widow Andromache, who is enslaved by Achilles's son Neoptolemus and is accused by his wife Hermione of seducing him; Ion, son of Apollo by the rape of Creusa and attendant at his temple, in a classic plot of mistaken identity; Pentheus, king of Thebes, who is murdered by frenzied Bacchantes, one of whom is his own mother; Iphigenia, who is sacrificed by her father Agamemnon to ensure Greek victory in the Trojan War. There is a very clear path that connects Euripides with the conventions of two and a half millenia of Western literature. He might not have been as famous or as respected as Sophocles, but he is no less important a dramatist.

Best translation I've read!.......1999-10-13

I'm an acting teacher, and this is the best translation I've come across. It's very readable and actable. Most other translations focus more on formal equivalency but this one is more of a dynamic equivalency. For an acting student, the text is so immediate and realistic rather than awkward.

Authors:

Authors

Authors