Tragic Heroines in Ancient Greek Drama

Author: Hanna M. Roisman

Paperback

A student introduction to the women in Greek tragedy, offering in-depth characterizations of tragic heroines in relation to their contemporary socio-political context.

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Summary

A student introduction to the women in Greek tragedy, offering in-depth characterizations of tragic heroines in relation to their contemporary socio-political context.

Description

The heroines of Greek tragedy presented in the plays by Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides have long captivated audiences and critics. In this volume each of the eleven chapters discusses one of the heroines: Clytemnestra, Hecuba, Medea, Iphigenia, Alcestis, Antigone Electra, Deianeira, Phaedra, Creusa and Helen. The book focuses on characterisation and the motivations of the women, as well as on those of the male playwrights, and offers multiple viewpoints and critiques that enable readers to understand the context of each play and form their own views. Four core themes bridge the depictions of the heroines: the socio-political dynamic of ancient Greek expectations of women and their roles in society, the conflict of masculinity versus femininity, the alternation of defiance and submission, and the interplay between deceit and rhetoric.Each chapter offers clear descriptions of plot and mythical background, and builds on the text of the plays to enable reflections on language and performance. All technical terms are explained and key topics or references are pulled out into box features that provide further background information. Discussion points at the ends of chapters enable readers to explore various topics more deeply.

Critic Reviews

“This book will be helpful for students who have never read a Greek play and help them identify major themes and interpretative problems. It provides necessary background information and stimulating questions for further study.”

A well-structured, clear and accessible book for researchers new to classics along with drama or classics students from A-Level beyond. Classics for All
-- Mary R. Lefkowitz, Andrew W. Mellon Professor in the Humanities Emerita, Wellesley College, USA
[W]e are lucky to have at our disposal R.’s new textbook, which we can now add to the list of pedagogical tools available for use in various courses on women and gender in antiquity, or to introductory courses on Greek literature and tragedy. The Classical Review

About the Author

Hanna M. Roisman is Arnold Bernhard Professor of Arts and Humanities and Professor of Classics Emerita at Colby College, USA. She is the author of numerous books, including Loyalty in Early Greek Epic and Tragedy (1984); Nothing is As It Seems: The Tragedy of the Implicit in Euripides' Hippolytus (1999); Sophocles: Philoctetes (2005); Sophocles: Electra: Translation with Notes (2008/2017); and Sophocles’ Electra: A Commentary (2020). She is also the editor of The Encyclopedia of Greek Tragedy (2014). co-author of: The Odyssey Re-Formed (1996); Euripides’ Alcestis: A Commentary (2003); Euripides’ Electra: A Commentary (2011).