The Oresteia
by:
Aeschylus (author)
Alan Shapiro (author)
Peter Burian (author)
Aeschylus' Oresteia, the only ancient tragic trilogy to survive, is one of the great foundational texts of Western culture. It begins with Agamemnon, which describes Agamemnon's return from the Trojan War and his murder at the hands of his wife Clytemnestra, continues with her murder by their son...
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Aeschylus' Oresteia, the only ancient tragic trilogy to survive, is one of the great foundational texts of Western culture. It begins with Agamemnon, which describes Agamemnon's return from the Trojan War and his murder at the hands of his wife Clytemnestra, continues with her murder by their son Orestes in Libation Bearers, and concludes with Orestes' acquittal at a court founded by Athena in Eumenides. The trilogy thus traces the evolution of justice in human society from blood vengeance to the rule of law, Aeschylus' contribution to a Greek legend steeped in murder, adultery, human sacrifice, cannibalism, and endless intrigue. This new translation is faithful to the strangeness of the original Greek and to its enduring human truth, expressed in language remarkable for poetic intensity, rich metaphorical texture, and a verbal density that modulates at times into powerful simplicity. The translation's precise but complicated rhythms honor the music of the Greek, bringing into unforgettable English the Aeschylean vision of a world fraught with spiritual and political tensions.
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Format: paperback
ISBN:
9780195135923 (019513592X)
ASIN: 019513592X
Publish date: October 7th 2004
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Pages no: 304
Edition language: English
Category:
Fantasy,
Classics,
Academic,
School,
Literature,
Cultural,
Plays,
Drama,
Theatre,
Poetry,
Greece,
Tragedy,
Mythology
Series: Ορέστεια -3 (#1)
This was one of those works where I really wish my professor had covered it better in class so that I could fully appreciate it. We had a two hour quick summary-like breeze through all three plays, with more focus being given to "Agamemnon" than the other two, so my judgement of the work was based m...
Let good prevail ! So be it ! Yet what is good ? And who is God? As many deeply conservative societies have discovered time and time again - societies in which there is only one right order and this order is warranted by the highest authorities recognized by the society - when change comes, an...
Ok. So I can't say this author's name . . . but as far as old plays go, the Oresteia trilogy is pretty good. It was a fast read, had multi-faceted characters, and a lot of topics to think about. As you will see from my one-sentence and one-word summaries below though . . . I would probably put this ...
bookshelves: winter-20132014, tbr-busting-2014, radio-3, published-458bc, fradio, greece, tragedy, families, revenge, under-500-ratings Read from January 16 to 21, 2014 The second part of Aeschylus's Oresteia trilogy in a new version by Ed Hime. BBC blurb: The second play in Aeschylus's classic...
The Oresteia tells the story of the slaying of Agamemnon, Orestes avenging his father's murder, and his trial. From any online source or introduction to his plays you'll glean that Aeschylus is the earliest playwright whose plays we have. Only seven out of the dozens he wrote survive to the present ...