According to legend, on the day of the greatest naval battle of the Persian wars, when Athens finally defeated the Persian Empire, Euripides was born. Throughout his life, while Athens secured its decline with its ceaseless warfare, Euripides sought sanctuary in a cave on the island of his birth, Salamis. There, he spent the quiet hours of the day and night contemplating what drove people to passionate acts of madness and violence, themes expressed in plays like the Bacchae, Electra, and Medea.
Setting the playwright in context to his personal life, social, historical and political events, other writers of influence, and more, you will quickly gain a deep understanding of Euripides and the plays he wrote. Read Euripides in an Hour and experience his plays like never before. Know the playwright, love the play!
The book features:
• Euripides in an Hour, the main essay of the book
• Euripides In a Minute, a snapshot chronology
• A complete listing of Euripides' work
• A list of Euripides' contemporaries in all fields
• Excerpts from Euripides' significant works
• An extensive bibliography grouped according to type of reader
• An index of the main essay.
Playwrights in an Hour is a series devoted to the most produced and studied playwrights in the English language, from the Greek masters to contemporary writers, and written by leading authorities in the field. Each short book places the playwright and his or her work in historical, social, and literary context.
