Alcestis And Other Plays: Alcestis; Medea; the Children of Heracles; Hippolytus (Penguin Classics S.) - Softcover

Davie, John; Rutherford, Richard

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9780140446432: Alcestis And Other Plays: Alcestis; Medea; the Children of Heracles; Hippolytus (Penguin Classics S.)

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0140446435 ISBN 13: 9780140446432

Publisher: Penguin Classics, 1996

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Euripides' tragedies proved highly controversial even in his own lifetime, presenting his audience with unexpected twists of plot and violently extreme emotions; for many of today's readers and spectators, he seems almost uncannily modern in his insights. Euripides was the key figure in transforming the familiar figures of Greek mythology from awe-inspiring but remote heroes into recognizable, fallible human beings. His characters, all superbly eloquent, draw on fierce contemporary debates about the nature of justice, politics and religion. His women are perhaps the most sympathetically and powerfully presented in ancient literature. Alcestis, the dramatist's first surviving work, is less harrowing than the others, almost a tragicomedy. The Children of Heracles examines the conflict between might and right, while Hippolytus and Medea, two of his greatest plays, reveal his profound understanding of destructive passion. This new translation into dignified English prose makes one of the greatest of Greek writers accessible once again to a wide public.

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About the Author:

Euripides is thought to have lived between 485 and 406 BC. He is considered to be one of the three great dramatists of Ancient Greece, alongside Aeschylus and Sophocles. He is particularly admired by modern audiences and readers for his astute and balanced depiction of human behavior. "Medea" is his most famous work.

Synopsis:

This is the first volume of a new translation of Euripides. It includes "Alcestis", "The Children of Heracles", "Hippolytus" and "Medea".

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