The Bacchae

by Euripides

Overview

Classic Greek tragedy concerns the catastrophe that ensues when the King of Thebes, Pentheus, imprisons Dionysus and attempts to suppress his cult. Full of striking scenes, frenzied emotion and choral songs of great power and beauty, the play is a fine example of Euripides' ability to exploit Greek myth to probe man's psychological makeup.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781515426325
Publisher:	Wilder Publications
Publication date:	04/03/2018
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	6.14(w) x 9.21(h) x 0.25(d)

About the Author

Robin Robertson is from the northeast coast of Scotland. He has published five collections of poetry and received a number of accolades, including the Petrarca-Preis, the E. M. Forster Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and a Forward Prize in each category. Apart from his translations of Euripides, he has also edited a collection of essays, Mortification: Writers' Stories of Their Public Shame, and, in 2006, he published The Deleted World, a selection of free English versions of poems by the Nobel laureate Tomas Tranströmer.

Daniel Mendelsohn a frequent contributor to The New York Review of Books and The New Yorker, is the author of the international bestseller The Lost: A Search for Six of Six Million. He teaches at Bard College.

Table of Contents

	Preface	vi
	Background to the story of Bacchae	vii
	Map of Ancient Greece	viii
	List of characters	1
	Commentary and translation	2
	Synopsis of the play	94
	Pronunciation of names	96
	Introduction to the Greek Theatre	97
	Time line	101
	Index	102

Editorial Reviews

Offers a new line-for-line translation of Euripides' play about the consequences of an attempt in Thebes to suppress the cult of Dionysus. An introduction discusses the cultural background of the play, its author, and ancient tragic theater, and suggests psychological, moral, religious, and political issues raised by the play. --Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.

Booknews

This is a very useful edition, excellent for classroom purposes. The translation is clear and lively, and several students commented on how much they enjoyed it. The introduction provides an excellent overview of the issues in the play, as well as of earlier scholarship, making it a good resource for more advanced classes. The cover photo is an added bonus and provided the starting point for stimulating class discussion. —James B. Rives, York University


An excellent translation which captures Bacchae's combination of colloquial and lyric language. The Notes and Introduction are also very helpful. —Mary-Kay Gamel, University of California, Santa Cruz

From the Publisher

Very accessible and 'fresh' translations, which will be valuable additions to American theatre.

Interactive Theatre Newsletter - Jeff Wirth

Very accessible and 'fresh' translations, which will be valuable additions to American theatre.
— Jeff Wirth, Editor

Interactive Theatre Newsletter