Euripides and His Age

Name: Euripides and His Age
Author: Gilbert Murray

By Gilbert Murray

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Biographies History - Ancient Plays/Films/Dramas

About This Book

The author reconstructs surviving evidence about the poet's life and sets his work against the theatrical, religious, and political climate of Athens, following early, middle, and late plays and the debates about their worth. The book surveys the shift of tragedy from ritual to art, examines representative tragedies and their responses to wartime and civic tensions, and offers formal analysis of devices such as the prologue, chorus, messenger scenes, and deus ex machina. Combining biography, literary criticism, and source-study, it argues that creative technique and social context together shaped the poet's dramatic innovations.

About the Author

Gilbert Murray

Gilbert Murray (1866-1957) was a prominent British classical scholar, translator, and playwright, known for his contributions to the understanding of ancient Greek literature and drama. He served as the Regius Professor of Greek at the University of Oxford and was a key figure in the revival of interest in Greek tragedy during the early 20th century. His notable works include translations of plays such as "Andromache: A Play in Three Acts" and "Carlyon Sahib: A Drama in Four Acts," which reflect his deep engagement with classical themes. Murray also wrote extensively on Greek religion and philosophy, contributing to the broader discourse on the relevance of ancient thought in contemporary society.