Medea and Other Plays
By (Author) Euripides
Introduction by Richard Rutherford
Translated by John Davie
Penguin Books Ltd
Penguin Classics
5th July 2004
27th March 2003
United Kingdom
General
Non Fiction
882.01
Paperback
256
Width 129mm, Height 198mm, Spine 15mm
191g
Penguin Classics relaunch. That proud, impassioned soul, so ungovernable now that she has felt the sting of injustice''Medea', in which a spurned woman takes revenge upon her lover by killing her children, is one of the most shocking and horrific of all the Greek tragedies. Dominating the play is Medea herself, a towering and powerful figure who demonstrates Euripides' unusual willingness to give voice to a woman's case. 'Alcestis', a tragicomedy, is based on a magical myth in which Death is overcome, and 'The Children of Heracles' examines the conflict between might and right, while 'Hippolytus' deals with self-destructive integrity and moral dilemmas. These plays show Euripides transforming the awesome figures of Greek mythology into recognizable, fallible human beings.John Davie's accessible prose translation is accompanied by a general introduction and individual prefaces to each play.Previously published as Alcestis and Other Plays
Euripides (c.485-406 BC) is thought to have written 92 plays, only 18 of which survive.John Davie is Head of Classics at St Paul's School in London.Richard Rutherford is Tutor in Classics at Christ Church, Oxford.