Description
Book SynopsisThis new introduction to Euripides'' fascinating interpretation of the story of Electra and her brother Orestes emphasizes its theatricality, showing how captivating the play remains to this day.
Electra poses many challenges for those drawn to Greek tragedy students, scholars, actors, directors, stage designers, readers and audiences. Rush Rehm addresses the most important questions about the play: its shift in tone between tragedy and humour; why Euripides arranged the plot as he did; issues of class and gender; the credibility of the gods and heroes, and the power of the myths that keep their stories alive. A series of concise and engaging chapters explore the functions of the characters and chorus, and how their roles change over the course of the play; the language and imagery that affects the audience''s response to the events on stage; the themes at work in the tragedy, and how Euripides forges them into a coherent theatrical experience; the later reception of the pla
Trade ReviewRush Rehm does a fine job of making Euripides’ complicated and unsettling play more appreciable and enjoyable, ... This volume will prove accessible as a study-guide for students who know little of Greek theatre, but also contains plenty of meaty information for their teachers to savour. I recommend this volume not just for students studying the text in translation, but for anyone considering a performance or rehearsed reading of Euripides’ play. * Journal of Classics Teaching *
A thorough and thought-provoking overview ... It excels at providing readers with the grounding necessary to appreciate the play and work with it further. * The Classical Review *
Admirable ... impeccably edited and produced. * Greece & Rome Journal *
Table of ContentsIntroduction 1. Theatrical and Performance Background 2. What Happens and How: The Unfolding of Euripides' Electra 3. Euripides and Myth: Reflecting and Re-Fashioning Tradition 4. Language 5. Characters and Actors 6. Props and Costumes, Bodies and Corpses 7. Gender and Sex, Children and Childbirth 8. Highs and Lows: Class Issues in Electra 9. Gods and Mortals 10. Afterlife Conclusion Glossary Guide to Further Reading Notes Bibliography Index
