Masterpieces of Classic Greek Drama

Overviews 10 works of ancient Greek drama in their political, historical, and cultural context.

The 5th century BC witnessed the flourishing of Athenian culture and was one of the most influential periods in history.

The achievements of the Greeks at that time forever shaped the West's political and legal institutions and provided the foundation for western civilisation.

At the same time, the world of the Greeks is distant and exotic to contemporary students.

The values and beliefs of the Greeks are best represented in the plays that were crafted at that time, and these works continue to be widely read and studied.

This book is a valuable introduction to ancient Greek drama.

Designed for school students and undergraduates, this work begins with an overview of the contexts and terminology of Greek drama.

It then provides individual chapters on ten major plays by Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, and Aristophanes: "Agamemnon"; "The Choephoroi"; "The Eumenides"; "Antigone"; "Oedipus"; "Oedipus at Colonus"; "Medea"; "The Bacchae"; "The Birds"; and "Lysistrata". Each chapter includes information about the playwright's life and dramatic style, the role of myth in the play, a plot summary, an analysis of major speeches, a discussion of performance issues, and a series of study questions.