Euripides and the poetics of nostalgia / Gary S. Meltzer.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Meltzer, Gary S., 1951- author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Euripides--Criticism and interpretation.

Euripides.

Justice in literature.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xi, 266 pages) : digital, PDF file(s).

Other Title:

Euripides & the Poetics of Nostalgia

Place of Publication:

Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 2006.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Branded by critics from Aristophanes to Nietzsche as sophistic, iconoclastic, and sensationalistic, Euripides has long been held responsible for the demise of Greek tragedy. Despite this reputation, his drama has a fundamentally conservative character. It conveys nostalgia for an idealized age that still respected the gods and traditional codes of conduct. Using deconstructionist and feminist theory, this 2006 book investigates the theme of the lost voice of truth and justice in four Euripidean tragedies. The plays' unstable mix of longing for a transcendent voice of truth and skeptical analysis not only epitomizes the discursive practice of Euripides' era but also speaks to our postmodern condition. The book sheds light on the source of the playwright's tragic power and enduring appeal, revealing the surprising relevance of his works for our own day.

Contents:

The "just voice" and the "word of truth" : divine revelation or mythopoetic construct?

The "just voice" as paradigmatic metaphor in The Hippolytus

The body's cry for justice in The Hecuba

The voice of Apollo and the "empire of signs" in The Ion

Where is the glory of Troy? : heroic fame in The Helen.

Notes:

Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 05 Oct 2015).

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

1-107-16707-8

1-280-70351-2

0-511-24999-3

0-511-24893-8

0-511-25050-9

0-511-31853-7

0-511-49778-4

0-511-24948-9

OCLC:

171140042