Greek Tragic Style
Greek Tragic Style
Greek tragedy is widely read and performed, but outside the commentary tradition detailed study of the poetic style and language of Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides has been relatively neglected. This book seeks to fill that gap by providing an account of the poetics of the tragic genre. The author describes the varied handling of spoken dialogue and of lyric song; major topics such as vocabulary, rhetoric and imagery are considered in detail and illustrated from a broad range of plays. The contribution of the chorus to the dramas is also discussed. Characterisation, irony and generalising statements are treated in separate chapters and these topics are illuminated by comparisons which show not only what is shared by the three major dramatists but also what distinguishes their practice. The book sheds light both on the genre as a whole and on many particular passages.
- Gives an account of the poetic language of Greek tragedy, giving the reader a broad and deep understanding of a major aspect of the tragic genre
- All passages quoted in Greek are translated, making much of the discussion accessible to those reading the tragedies in translation (such as students of English, modern languages and comparative literature)
- Citation of many passages from other genres (such as Homer) provides orientation, enabling the reader to place tragedy in the literary and stylistic history of Greek literature
Reviews & endorsements
'Rutherford's book … fills a sizable gap in scholarship. … Becuse he has translated all the Greek that he copiously quotes, anyone with an interest in the subject can enjoy the riches of the book.' Choice
'The value of R.'s work lies in the fact that it puts its finger decisively on many important topics and provides ample stimulus for further debate. Its clarity and rigour of presentation are hard to fault, its discussions of individual passages are satisfyingly complex and thoughtful, and above all it is a timely reminder of the importance of treating tragedy as poetry.' Matthew Wright, The Classical Review
Product details
June 2012Hardback
9780521848909
492 pages
236 × 160 × 26 mm
0.92kg
Available
Table of Contents
- 1. Introduction
- 2. Genre: form, structure and mode
- 3. Words, themes and names
- 4. The imagery of Greek tragedy
- 5. The dramatists at work: part 1 (spoken verse)
- 6. The dramatists at work: part 2 (lyric)
- 7. The characters of Greek tragedy
- 8. The irony of Greek tragedy
- Appendix: ironic dramatists?
- 9. The wisdom of Greek tragedy
- 10. Epilogue.
