Description
Book SynopsisThis commentary discusses Aeschylus'' play Agamemnon (458 BC), which is one of the most popular of the surviving ancient Greek tragedies, and is the first to be published in English since 1958. It is designed particularly to help students who are tackling Aeschylus in the original Greek for the first time, and includes a reprint of D. L. Page''s Oxford Classical Text of the play.The introduction defines the place of Agamemnon within the Oresteia trilogy as a whole, and the historical context in which the plays were produced. It discusses Aeschylus'' handling of the traditional myth and the main ideas which underpin his overall design: such as the development of justice and the nature of human responsibility; and it emphasizes how the power of words, seen as ominous speech-acts which can determine future events, makes a central contribution to the play''s dramatic momentum. Separate sections explore Aeschylus'' use of theatrical resources, the role of the chorus, and the solo characters
Trade ReviewDavid Raeburn and Oliver Thomas have made a difficult but rewarding play accessible to students with this the first commentary on Aeschylus' Agamemnon to be published in English since 1958. It offers an impressively wide-ranging introduction to the play that also sets it in the broader context of the Oresteia as a whole. Raeburn and Thomas prove to be dependable guides who offer judicious readings of difficult passages; they are even-handed in presenting variant readings or interpretations, and provide the resources necessary for readers to engage with scholarly debate. * Eric Dugdale, Classical Journal *
Table of ContentsABBREVIATIONS; INTRODUCTION; TEXT; COMMENTARY; APPENDIX: SOUND AND RHYTHM; WORKS CITED; INDEX
