Euripides: Alcestis

Description

In the Alcestis, the title character sacrifices her own life to save that of her husband, Admetus, when he is presented with the opportunity to have someone die in his place. Alcestis compresses within itself both tragedy and its apparent reversal, staging in the process fascinating questions about gender roles, family loyalties, the nature of heroism, and the role of commemoration. Alcestis is Euripides's earliest complete work and his only surviving play from the period preceding the outbreak of the Peloponnesian War. Currently dominant post-structuralist models of Greek tragedy focus on its 'oppositional' role in the discourse of war and public values. This study challenges not only this politicised model of tragic discourse but also both traditional masculinist and more recent feminist readings of the discourse and performance of gender in this remarkable play. The play survived in the performance repertoire of antiquity into the Roman period. Euripides' version strongly influenced the reception of the myth through the middles ages into the Renaissance, and the story enjoyed a lively afterlife through opera. Alcestis' contested reception in the last two centuries charts our changing understanding of tragedy. Niall Slater's study explores the reception and afterlife of the play, as well as its main themes, the myth before the play, the play's historical and social context and the central developments in modern criticism.

Niall W. Slater is S. C. Dobbs Professor of Latin and Greek in the Department of Classics at Emory University, USA.

All in all, this book is a serious, informed, and nuanced study of Euripides' Alcestis, which shows that it is still possible to say something new and important on this most crowded of topics, and to do so with eloquence and lucidity. -- Andreas Markantonatos, University of the Peloponnese * Bryn Mawr Classical Review * Niall Slater provides a superb discussion of one of the most complex and mysterious of all Greek plays. His strong scholarly background and genuine understanding of theatrical texts and performances allow him to weigh various readings of the script in a broad historical and theatrical context; his discussion of the play's reception is especially strong. This clearly organized and beautifully written commentary offers riches to readers at all levels. -- Mary-Kay Gamel, University of California Santa Cruz, USA This expertly written new volume in the series, provides a clear and engaging discussion of one of the most intriguing of the ancient Greek tragedies. Niall Slater situates this fascinating play both thematically and dramaturgically within its Athenian context as well as within the context of Greek drama. Not only will students of Greek tragedy benefit greatly from Slater's accessible analysis of this unusual play, but from his detailed, informative, and insightful treatment of Alcestis' afterlife as well. -- Hanna Roisman, Professor of Classics, Colby College, USA