Medea and Other Plays

Description

Penguin Classics relaunch. That proud, impassioned soul, so ungovernable now that she has felt the sting of injustice''Medea', in which a spurned woman takes revenge upon her lover by killing her children, is one of the most shocking and horrific of all the Greek tragedies. Dominating the play is Medea herself, a towering and powerful figure who demonstrates Euripides' unusual willingness to give voice to a woman's case. 'Alcestis', a tragicomedy, is based on a magical myth in which Death is overcome, and 'The Children of Heracles' examines the conflict between might and right, while 'Hippolytus' deals with self-destructive integrity and moral dilemmas. These plays show Euripides transforming the awesome figures of Greek mythology into recognizable, fallible human beings.John Davie's accessible prose translation is accompanied by a general introduction and individual prefaces to each play.Previously published as Alcestis and Other Plays

Euripides (c.485-406 BC) is thought to have written 92 plays, only 18 of which survive.John Davie is Head of Classics at St Paul's School in London.Richard Rutherford is Tutor in Classics at Christ Church, Oxford.