Description
Book SynopsisComposed in early imperial Rome by Lucius Annaeus Seneca, Stoic philosopher and tutor to the emperor Nero, the tragedy
Medea is dominated by the superhuman energy of its protagonist: diva, killer, enchantress, force of nature. Seneca's treatment of the myth covers an episode identical to that of Euripides' Greek version, enabling instructive comparisons to be drawn. Seneca's
Medea has challenged and fascinated theatre-makers across cultures and centuries and should be regarded as integral to the classical heritage of European theatre. This companion volume sketches the essentials of Seneca's play and at the same time situates it within an interpretive tradition. It also uses
Medea to illustrate key features of Senecan dramaturgy, the way in which language functions as a mode of theatrical representation and the way in which individuals are embedded in their surrounding conditions, resonating dissonantly with the principles of Roman Stoicism. By interweaving some o
Trade ReviewEminently suitable for the undergraduate reading Seneca or exploring Reception ... The extensive notes and bibliography also provide many opportunities for further exploration to interested readers. * The Journal of Classics Teaching *
Accessible and readable, and interesting in its approach to reception, weaving it into a reading of the play rather than appending it. * Greece & Rome *
Table of Contents1. Seneca and Roman Drama Personal Context Philosophical Context Political Context Performance Context
2. The Myth of Medea Ovid’s Medea Epic and Lyric Medea in Tragedy Medea in Visual Art
3. Themes It’s All Coming Back to Me (
cuncta redeant) The Angry Sea (
mare provocatum) Now I’m Medea (
Medea nunc sum)
4. Language and Style Extreme Passion Extreme Rhetoric Studley’s Medea
5. Witchcraft and Stagecraft The Roman Witch The French Witch
6. Becoming Medea Reconciliations Rituals Landscapes Further Reading Index
