Set at the end of the Trojan war; "Euripides Trojan Women" depicts the women of Troy as they wait to be taken into slavery. While choral songs recall the death-throes of the great city; the scenes between the old queen; Hekabe; and the women of her family explore the consequences of the defeat; from the rape of Cassandra; through the triumphant self-exculpation of Helen; to the pitiful death of the child Astyanax; who is thrown from the walls of his ravaged city. Barbara Goff sets the play in its historical; dramatic and literary contexts; and provides a scene-by-scene analysis which brings out the pace and intellectual vigour of the play. The main themes are fully discussed; and the book also introduces readers to the issues that have divided critics; such as the extent to which the play responds to the historical events of the Peloponnesian War. The final chapter; which deals with the reception of the play; offers new insights into several modern works.
#2311379 in eBooks 2013-11-28 2013-11-28File Name: B00GMIUF2M
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy Linda A. LarsonAn excellent scholarly work on a subject that has little written about it. A very valuable resource.