Specimens of Greek Tragedy - Aeschylus and Sophocles

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Aeschylus, 526 BCE-457 BCE

Contributor:

Sophocles, 496? BCE-407 BCE

Smith, Goldwin, 1823-1910.

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource : multiple file formats

Place of Publication:

Salt Lake City, UT : Project Gutenberg,

Summary:

"Specimens of Greek Tragedy" by Aeschylus and Sophocles is a collection of translated excerpts of ancient Greek plays that dates back to the late 19th century. The book serves as an insightful resource into the realm of Greek drama, exploring key themes such as fate, morality, and the dichotomy between human desire and divine intervention. Two of the most significant playwrights represented are Aeschylus, considered the father of tragedy, and Sophocles, who successfully advanced the genre with deeper character development and complex plots. The opening of the collection provides a comprehensive preface discussing the origins and evolution of Greek drama, emphasizing its beginnings associated with religious festivals honoring Dionysus. It highlights the dramatic structure and the use of chorus, along with detailed discussions of the plays' thematic essence and the societal context in which they were performed. From Prometheus's defiance against Zeus and the tragic demise of Agamemnon to the heart-wrenching narratives of familial duty and betrayal in Electra, the beginning of this compilation sets the stage for understanding the powerful emotional and philosophical undercurrents that defined Greek tragedy. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Credits:

This eBook was produced by Juliet Sutherland, William Koven, Charles Franks and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team

Notes:

Reading ease score: 79.5 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read.

Excerpts from various plays of Aeschylus and Sophocles.

Release date is 2004-12-01