Though it's tempting to imagine the late English poet laureate's
long tortured relationship with the image of (his wife) feminist
heroine Sylvia Plath as its subtext, this vivid free-verse
translation of Aeschylus' dark and bloody tragic trilogy
(comprising Agamemnon, Choephori, and Eumenides) more properly
evinces Hughes's wide range of interests and mastery of classic
literatures. His nearly conversational rhythms produce an arresting
mixture of colloquialism and formality, enlivened by strong imagery
(as in the matricidal Orestes' declaration that "This house has
been the goblet / That the demon of homicide, unquenchable, / Has
loved to drain"), and only infrequently weakened by astonishing
woodenness - as in Clytemnestra's cool reply to the Chorus who
lament her murder of her husband: "You think I'm an irresponsible
woman? / You are making a mistake"). Perhaps not the ultimate
"acting edition" it claims to be, but, still, an essential further
installment in the always interesting oeuvre of a gifted poet who
was also a diligent scholar. (Kirkus Reviews)
Highly acclaimed as translators of Greek and Sanskrit classics,
respectively, David Grene and Wendy Doniger O'Flaherty here present
a complete modern translation of the three plays comprising
Aeschylus' Orestia and, with the assistance of director Nicholas
Rudall, an abridged stage adaptation. This blanced and highly
successful collaboration of scholars with a theater director solves
the contemporary problems of translating and staging the Orestia,
which originally was written to be performed in Athens in the first
half of the fifth century B.C. While remaning faithful to the
original Greek, Grene and O'Flaherty embrace a strong and
adventurous English style, vivid and visceral. The language of this
extraordinary translation, immediately accessible to a theater
audience, speaks across the centuries. Premiered at Chicago's Court
Theater in 1986 under Rudall's direction, the stage adaptation of
the Orestia proved eminently playable. This new adaptation of the
orestia offers a brilliant demonstration of how clearly defined
goals (here, the actor's needs) can inspire translators to produce
fresh, genuine, accessible dramatic texts. The resulting work
provides complete and accurate texts for those who cannot read the
original Greek, and it transforms the Orestia into an effective
modern stage play. With interpretive introductions written by the
translators and director, this new version will be welcomed by
teachers of translation courses, by students of Greek and world
drama in general, and by theater professionals.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
