Seven Famous Greek PlaysWhitney J. Oates, Eugene O'Neill, Eugene O'Neill (Jr.) "In the interval between the epics of Homer...and the age of the three great tragic poets, thinkers began to explore the various phenomena of the external world and came to understand many aspects of nature which had hitherto been shrouded in complete mystery. The creative literary activity of this epoch likewise betokens on the part of the Greeks an increasingly higher level of self-understanding and self-consciousness, in the best sense of the word. At this time appeared a group of lyric poets, who had looked deeply within their own natures, and through the vehicle of their poetry, made abundantly evident how thoroughly they understood the essential character of man's inner being. In Greek tragedy as we now have it we meet a fully developed dramatic form....The influence of tragedy on classic comedy is evident in the increasing preoccupation with subjects that are utopian or timeless, [while] the traditional satire on contemporary events and personages recedes more and more into the background." -- from the Introduction, by Whitney J. Oates and Eugene O'Neill, Jr. |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
ADMETUS AEACUS AEGEUS AEGISTHUS AESCHYLUS AGAMEMNON ALCESTIS ANTIGONE antistrophe Apollo Argos Athens Atreus behold blood bride CASSANDRA child CHORUS chanting CHORUS singing CLYTEMNESTRA co-äx corpse CREON curse dark daughter dead death deed didst DIONYSUS doom dost thou doth dread earth enters EURIPIDES evil eyes fate father fear foes friends gods Greek Hades HAEMON hand hapless hast thou hate hath hear heart heaven HEPHAESTUS HERACLES HERDSMAN HERMES honour husband ISMENE JASON Jocasta king Laius land LEADER live lord MEDEA MESSENGER mortal mother never o'er OCEANUS OEDIPUS Oedipus the King palace PHERES play poet pray PROMETHEUS SERVANT sire slain slay song Sophocles sorrow soul speak strophe tears TEIRESIAS tell Thebes thee thine things thou art thou hast thou wilt thyself tragedy Troy unto wife woman words wrath XANTHIAS Zeus