Publisher Description

This edition presents Medea, the most famous play of the Athenian tragedian Euripides, in ancient Greek, with commentary designed for university Greek classes, from second-year Greek upward. It helps students experience a classic drama as they work through the process of careful translation and gives them an appreciation of the work's artistry and its relation to its culture and performance tradition. The introduction summarizes interpretive and cultural issues raised by the play and provides background on important aspects of Greek tragedy, including language, style, and metre.

Author Biography

Donald Mastronarde is Melpomene Distinguished Professor of Classical Languages and Literature at the University of California, Berkeley.

Table of Contents

General introduction; Structural elements of Greek tragedy; Language and style; Prosody and metre; MEDEA; Commentary; Appendix: Medea's great monologue.

Review

'... predictably fine, thoughtful and polished ... a nicely self-contained teaching-tool ... Throughout, Mastronarde displays virtues known from his previous activity as a commentator: clarity of exposition; fairness in the treatment of controversial issues; philological acumen; command of the primary and secondary literature ... a keen eye for the theatrical dimension of drama; and an openness to engage with broader, and often complex, non-philological aspects of interpretation.' Mouseion, Journal of the Classical Association of Canada 'We may confidently say now that future students will face a less difficult task thanks to the work of D. J. Mastronarde, whose knowledge of Greek theatre and uncommon talent as a teacher have combined to produce a most valuable book. It is easy to foresee that students will be grateful to M. for his admirably concise and useful treatment of language, style and metre ... Mastronarde's book is an outstanding contribution to the understanding of Medea and a valuable introduction to Greek tragedy as a whole. It deserves to take pride of place on the shelves of Euripidean scholars beside the time-honoured commentary of Page.' Journal of Hellenic Studies '... this series has consistently proven itself to provide high quality commentaries for teaching Greek texts in the original. Mastronarde's fine work does not disappoint. ... this is a volume which will prove very useful to students of Greek tragedy in the original and will also be a valuable resource for professional colleagues.' Hermathena

Review Quote

"With his commentary, Mastronarde has provided students with an important tool in helping them understand Greek language, Greek prosody, and Greek tragedy." Classical Bulletin

Promotional "Headline"

Comprehensive edition of this classic play aimed at second-year students and above.

Description for Bookstore

Medea was the most famous play of the Athenian tragedian Euripides. This edition helps students and others experience a classic drama as they work through the process of careful translation of the original Greek. The introduction summarizes interpretive and cultural issues and provides background on important aspects of Greek tragedy.

Description for Library

Medea was the most famous play of the Athenian tragedian Euripides. This edition helps students and others experience a classic drama as they work through the process of careful translation of the original Greek. The introduction summarizes interpretive and cultural issues and provides background on important aspects of Greek tragedy.

Details