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- Herausgeber: DigiCat
- Kategorie: Poesie und Drama
- Sprache: Englisch
In "Four Plays of Aeschylus," the seminal Greek playwright Aeschylus presents a profound exploration of themes such as fate, justice, and the divine, framing these elements through the lens of his masterful use of dramatic structure and stinging dialogue. This collection includes pivotal works such as "Agamemnon," "The Libation Bearers," "The Eumenides," and "The Persians," illustrating his ability to weave complex narratives that challenge the moral compass of society. With its poetic language and innovative theatrical techniques, Aeschylus not only set the tone for future tragedies but also captured the societal anxieties of post-war Athens, thereby creating a lasting impact on the genre. Aeschylus, often referred to as the father of tragedy, was deeply influenced by his experiences in the Greco-Persian Wars and the nascent Athenian democracy. His works reflect his commitment to addressing ethical dilemmas and the human condition, derived from both his personal convictions and his desire to engage the Athenian populace in critical self-reflection. These elements in his writing reveal an author who was not only a playwright but also a philosopher of his time. I highly recommend "Four Plays of Aeschylus" for anyone interested in the origins of Western drama and the intricate interplay of human emotions and societal obligations. This anthology not only offers a glimpse into ancient Greek life but also serves as a timeless reflection on themes that continue to resonate today, making it essential reading for both students and lovers of literature.
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Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2022
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Four Plays of Aeschylus
Table of Contents
Translated Into English Verse By E.D.A. Morshead, MA.
INTRODUCTION
The surviving dramas of Aeschylus are seven in number, though he is believed to have written nearly a hundred during his life of sixty-nine years, from 525 B.C. to 456 B.C. That he fought at Marathon in 490, and at Salamis in 480 B.C. is a strongly accredited tradition, rendered almost certain by the vivid references to both battles in his play of The Persians, which was produced in 472. But his earliest extant play was, probably, not The Persians but The Suppliant Maidens—a mythical drama, the fame of which has been largely eclipsed by the historic interest of The Persians, and is undoubtedly the least known and least regarded of the seven. Its topic—the flight of the daughters of Danaus from Egypt to Argos, in order to escape from a forced bridal with their first-cousins, the sons of Aegyptus—is legendary, and the lyric element predominates in the play as a whole. We must keep ourselves reminded that the ancient Athenian custom of presenting dramas in Trilogies —that is, in three consecutive plays dealing with different stages of one legend—was probably not uniform: it survives, for us, in one instance only, viz. the Orestean Trilogy, comprising the Agamemnon, the Libation-Bearers, and the Eumenides, or Furies. This Trilogy is the masterpiece of the Aeschylean Drama: the four remaining plays of the poet, which are translated in this volume, are all fragments of lost Trilogies—that is to say, the plays are complete as poems, but in regard to the poet's larger design they are fragments; they once had predecessors, or sequels, of which only a few words, or lines, or short paragraphs, survive. It is not certain, but seems probable, that the earliest of these single completed plays is The Suppliant Maidens, and on that supposition it has been placed first in the present volume. The maidens, accompanied by their father Danaes, have fled from Egypt and arrived at Argos, to take sanctuary there and to avoid capture by their pursuing kinsmen and suitors. In the course of the play, the pursuers' ship arrives to reclaim the maidens for a forced wedlock in Egypt. The action of the drama turns on the attitude of the king and people of Argos, in view of this intended abduction. The king puts the question to the popular vote, and the demand of the suitors is unanimously rejected: the play closes with thanks and gratitude on the part of the fugitives, who, in lyrical strains of quiet beauty, seem to refer the whole question of their marriage to the subsequent decision of the gods, and, in particular, of Aphrodite.
