Looking at Medea: Essays and a translation of Euripides' tragedy

Description

Euripides' Medea is one of the most often read, studied and performed of all Greek tragedies. A searingly cruel story of a woman's brutal revenge on a husband who has rejected her for a younger and richer bride, it is unusual among Greek dramas for its acute portrayal of female psychology. Medea can appear at once timeless and strikingly modern. Yet, the play is very much a product of the political and social world of fifth century Athens and an understanding of its original context, as well as a consideration of the responses of later ages, is crucial to appreciating this work and its legacy. This collection of essays by leading academics addresses these issues, exploring key themes such as revenge, character, mythology, the end of the play, the chorus and Medea's role as a witch. Other essays look at the play's context, religious connotations, stagecraft and reception. The essays are accompanied by David Stuttard's English translation of the play, which is performer-friendly, accessible yet accurate and closely faithful to the original.

David Stuttard is founder of the theatre company, Actors of Dionysus, translator of numerous Greek plays, and author of titles including Parthenon, Power and Politics on the Acropolis (2013), Looking at Lysistrata (Bloomsbury, 2010) and The Romans Who Shaped Britain (2012).

With his collection of essays and his beautiful and faithful translation, David Stuttard not only gently guides non-specialist readers into Euripides' tragic play but also opens new perspectives to specialists of the field. The editor has thus faced the challenge to offer fresh original insights into one "of the most often read, studied and performed of all Greek tragedies." * Caliban: French Journal of English Studies * Looking at Medea presents an accurate and performable translation together with twelve useful and sometimes illuminating interpretative perspectives on the play. Euripides' Medea emerges by consensus of the contributors as a bold and innovative work of art that is and was profoundly disturbing. -- N.J. Sewell-Rutter, Oxford Tutorial College, UK * Bryn Mawr Classical Review * Stuttard has produced a companion to the play which is extremely accessible and helpful . . . The end result is an enjoyable and wide-ranging overview of current scholarship on this tragedy and its afterlife, accompanied by a clear and accurate translation. -- Lyndsay Coo, University of Bristol, UK * The Anglo-Hellenic Review, no. 50 * A wonderfully accessible guide to a dazzling play. David Stuttard's introduction and translation, along with critical essays by twelve different scholars, offer richly varied ways of looking at Medea. * Pat Easterling, Regius Professor Emeritus of Greek, University of Cambridge *