Greek Tragedy
Greek Tragedy
1st Edition
Published on 23. March 2011
Book
Paperback/Softback
344 pages
978-0-415-61019-3 (ISBN)
Description
Why did Aeschylus characterize differently from Sophocles? Why did Sophocles introduce the third actor? Why did Euripides not make better plots? So asks H.D.F Kitto in his acclaimed study of Greek tragedy, available for the first time in Routledge Classics.
Kitto argues that in spite of dealing with big moral and intellectual questions, the Greek dramatist is above all an artist and the key to understanding classical Greek drama is to try and understand the tragic conception of each play. In Kitto's words 'We shall ask what the dramatist is striving to say, not what in fact he does say about this or that.' Through a brilliant analysis of Aeschylus's 'Oresteia', the plays of Sophocles including 'Antigone' and 'Oedipus Tyrannus'; and Euripides's 'Medea' and 'Hecuba', Kitto skilfully conveys the enduring artistic and literary brilliance of the Greek dramatists.
Kitto argues that in spite of dealing with big moral and intellectual questions, the Greek dramatist is above all an artist and the key to understanding classical Greek drama is to try and understand the tragic conception of each play. In Kitto's words 'We shall ask what the dramatist is striving to say, not what in fact he does say about this or that.' Through a brilliant analysis of Aeschylus's 'Oresteia', the plays of Sophocles including 'Antigone' and 'Oedipus Tyrannus'; and Euripides's 'Medea' and 'Hecuba', Kitto skilfully conveys the enduring artistic and literary brilliance of the Greek dramatists.
Reviews / Votes
'Two things give Kitto's classic book its enduring freshness: he pioneered the approach to Greek drama through internal artistry and thematic form, and he always wrote in lively and readable English.' - Oliver Taplin, University of Oxford, UKMore details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Target group
College/higher education
Dimensions
Height: 216 mm
Width: 140 mm
Thickness: 19 mm
Weight
453 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-415-61019-3 (9780415610193)
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Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Person
H.D.F. Kitto (1897 - 1982) was a renowned British classical scholar. He lectured at the University of Glasgow from 1920-1944 before becoming Professor of Greek at Bristol University, where he taught until 1962.
Content
Foreword to The Routledge Classics Edition Preface Note to the Third Edition 1. Lyrical Tragedy 2. Old Tragedy 3. The Oresteia 4. The Dramatic Art of Aeschylus 5. Middle Tragedy: Sophocles 6. The Philosophy of Sophocles 7. The Dramatic Art of Sophocles 8. The Euripidean Tragedy 9. The Technique of the Euripidean Tragedy 10. The 'Trachiniae' and 'Philoctetes' 11. The New Tragedy: 'Euripides' Tragi-Comedies
12. New Tragedy: Euripides' Melodramas 13. Two Last Plays Index
12. New Tragedy: Euripides' Melodramas 13. Two Last Plays Index