Euripides' "Alcestis": Narrative, Myth, and Religion

Description

This volume is an accessible yet in-depth narratological study of Euripides’ Alcestis - the earliest extant play of Euripides and one of the most experimental masterpieces of Greek tragedy, not only standing in place of a satyr-play but also preserving at least some of its typical features. Commencing from the widely-held view, so lamentably ignored within the domain of Classics, that a narratology of drama should be predicated upon the notion of narrative as verbal, as well as visual, rendition of a story, this unique volume contextualizes the play in terms of its reception by the original audience, locating the intricate narrative tropes of the plot in the dynamics of fifth-century Athenian mythology and religion. Preface Chapter 1 Narrative, Myth, and Religion I. Introduction II. Tragic Storytelling: Form and Content III. Tragic Worlds: Narrating the Athenian Polis IV. Euripides’ Alcestis: Narrative and Interpretation Chapter 2 Narrative I. Introduction II. Death is Death is Death: Narrating a World of Perennial Suffering Chapter 3 Myth I. Introduction II. Mythological Intertextuality: Alcestis and Heracles III. Prophecy, Theory, Action: The Making of a Hero Chapter 4 Religion I. Introduction II. Death is Death is Life: Eleusinian Orphism and Moral Courage III. Death is Death is Life: Alcestis, Athens, and Mystical Salvation Conclusion Bibliography I. Abbreviations II. Editions & Translations III. List of Works Cited General Index Index of Greek Words Index of Alcestis Passages