The latest volume in the Classical World series, this book offers a much-needed up-to-date introduction to Greek tragedy, and covers the most important thematic topics studied at school or university level. After a brief analysis of the genre and main figures, it focuses on the broader questions of what defines tragedy, what its particular preoccupations are, and what makes these texts so widely studied and performed more than 2,000 years after they were written. As such, the book will be of interest to students taking broad courses on Greek tragedy, while also being suitable for the general reader who wants an overview of the subject.
All passages of tragedy discussed are translated by the author and supplementary information includes a chronology of all the surviving tragedies, a glossary, and guidance on further reading.
By:
Laura Swift (The Open University UK)
Imprint: Bloomsbury Publishing
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions:
Height: 216mm,
Width: 138mm,
Spine: 13mm
Weight: 190g
ISBN: 9781474236836
ISBN 10: 1474236839
Series: Classical World
Pages: 144
Publication Date: 28 September 2016
Audience:
College/higher education
,
Primary
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
Preface Chapter One: Tragedy as a Genre Chapter Two: Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides Chapter Three: Myth Chapter Four: Heroes Chapter Five: The Gods Chapter Six: Contemporary Thought Chapter Seven: Gender and the Family Chapter Eight: The Chorus Chronology Glossary of Greek and Technical Terms Suggestions for Further Reading Index
Laura Swift is Lecturer in Classical Studies at the Open University, UK. Her books include The Hidden Chorus (2010) and Euripides: Ion (Bloomsbury 2008).
Reviews for Greek Tragedy: Themes and Contexts
A very useful addition to the Bloomsbury Classical World series. It is particularly accessible to the general reader ... and requires no knowledge of the Greek language. ... This well-written and very readable book will inspire readers to discover or return to the plays themselves and to undertake some further study from the succinct, but pertinent, bibliography. Classics for All Reviews Judicious, well-informed, clear: a model Introduction to the vigour and variety of ancient Greek tragedy. Oliver Taplin, Professor Emeritus of Classics, Oxford University, UK What is 'tragic', and what indeed is Greek, about Greek tragedy? The plays were staged at a great popular festival, and cannot have been just highbrow. Laura Swift brilliantly and lucidly brings out how tragedy combines such accessibility with 'tackling the hard qualities in human life' in ways that are still important and thought provoking today. Christopher Pelling, Emeritus Regius Professor of Greek, Oxford University, UK
