Greek Tragedy in Action

by Oliver Taplin

This book attempts to reinstate the works of Greek Tragedy as plays rather than just texts to be read. Taplin concentrates on three plays each by Sophocles, Aeschylus and Euripides to do this.

Genres: Nonfiction, Tragedy, Drama, Criticism, Classics

232 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1978

Reviews

[gillian · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing guide to the world of Greek Tragedy. Incredibly informative and decently thorough.

[Tony · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best book on Greek Play stage interpretation. Every director should read this so they not only stop doing their silly interpretations of the Three but also that of all the other greats too. No interpretation of a great will be better than how that great playwright wanted it.

This book should be compulsory for all film students too.

Excellent read!

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

received in a bundle from ancient antics on etsy!
read for *uni* as a beginner text for context for antigone.
well written, but my edition is mildly outdated (we now think that there are 120 sophoclean plays, not 80), and the last two chapters bored me. really interesting and riveting stuff on how we shouldn’t think of greek tragedies as simply texts and should always keep their physicality in mind. brilliant analysis on the oresteia.

[Evan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Greek Tragedy in Action, about the role of physical movement and interaction in the presentation and understand of ancient Greek tragic drama, is the best book I know on the subject. Also, the only book I know on the subject.