Aeschylus: Suppliants

(Paperback)

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Description

Aeschylus' 'Suppliants' dramatises the myth of the fifty daughters of Danaos, who flee Egypt and come to Argos as suppliants, trying to escape forced marriage to their Egyptian cousins. It was long considered to be the earliest surviving tragedy. Even after the mid-20th century, when new evidence established a later date for the play, critics tended to condemn it for its alleged 'archaic' features. As a result it has long been underestimated, although a careful examination reveals it to be one of the most exciting tragedies. This companion employs a variety of critical approaches to set the play in its literary, dramatic, social and historical contexts, and also offers a thorough examination of the performance of the tragedy, investigating topics such as stage, action, music, song and dance.

Reviews

Placing the early play by Aeschylus in its literary, dramatic, social, and historical context, Papadopoulou (classics, Aristotle U. of Thessaloniki) argues that it has been undeservedly disparaged by modern scholars, and should be appreciated as an intriguing and challenging drama that poses fundamental questions, especially about female subjectivity, the polarity between Greeks and barbarians, and ethnic identity.

Author Bio

Thalia Papadopoulou is Assistant Professor of Classics, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, and the author of 'Euripides: Phoenician Women' in this series.