Six Classical Greek Comedies: Birds; Frogs; Women in Power; the Woman from Samos; Cyclops and Alkestis

by J. Michael Walton (Translator), Kenneth McLeish

Six wide ranging classic plays with introduction by the editor




The comedies of the Athenian theatre not only lie at the root of Western drama, they also offer a unique insight into everyday life in ancient Greece. This selection of six wide ranging plays includes the comic fantasies of Aristophanes, which combine the ridiculous with serious satirical comment (Birds, Frogs, Women in Power); Menander's The Woman from Samos, a recognisable forebear of today's situation comedy; Euripides ribald satyr play, Cyclops, the only surviving example of the genre, and his Alkestis, a complex romance which gave a new face to comedy.
The volume is edited and introduced by J. Michael Walton, Professor of Drama at the University of Hull and founder/director of the Performance Translation Centre there.

Genres: Plays

378 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2002

Reviews

[Rufus May · Rating 4 out of 5]

These were very good short plays. I didn’t know what to expect with Greek comedies but I was pleasantly surprised, I thought Aristophanes works were incredible. With birds nearly being a masterpiece, the idea of the birds making a kingdom in the sky so that they could tax the gods is a very funny concept. I think most of Aristophanes works could be played today and most people would find it funny. Very impressive completion for these playwrights who lived so long ago🔥🔥🔥