Bacchae (Dover Thrift Editions: Plays) - Softcover

Euripides

Softcover

ISBN 10: 048629580X ISBN 13: 9780486295800

Publisher: Dover Publications, 1997

Synopsis

The youngest of the three great Greek tragedians, following Aeschylus and Sophocles, Euripides (ca. 484–406 B.C.) is reputed to have written ninety-two plays, nineteen of which survive. The Bacchae, a late play staged posthumously, concerns the cult of Dionysus, god of wine, whose worship hinged largely on orgiastic and frenzied nature rites.
When Dionysus (in disguise) attempts to spread his cult among the people (especially the women) of Thebes, their king, Pentheus, imprisons Dionysus and tries to suppress his cult. The king's misguided attempt to thwart the will of a god leads to catastrophe. Full of striking scenes, frenzied emotion, and choral songs of great power and beauty, the play is a fine example of Euripides' ability to exploit and manipulate traditional Greek myth to serve his own ends in probing man's psychological makeup and understanding of himself.

About this title

Book Description:

Cambridge Translations from Greek Drama aims to eliminate the boundary between classics students and drama students. Euripides: Bacchae is the second in the series, and is aimed at A-level students in the UK and college students in North America.Features of the book include full commentary running alongside the translation, notes on pronunciation and a plot synopsis. Background information is also provided, along with suggestions to encourage discussion.

About the Author:

Euripides (c. 480-406 BCE) was the last of the three great tragedians of classical Athens. E. R. Dodds is at University of Oxford.

About this edition

• Publisher: Dover Publications
• Publication date: 1997
• ISBN 10: 048629580X
• ISBN 13: 9780486295800
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 64