Sommerstein's new commentary provides an excellent introduction to the many issues that the comedy raises, making a fine addition to his BCXJKREVIEWS/COMPTES RENDUS Aristophanic series. a play about plays, and a comedy about tragedy. JUDITH FLETCHER DEPARlMENT OF ARCHEOLOGY AND CLASSICAL STUDIES WILFRID LAURIER UNIVERSITY WATERLOO, ON NzL.3C5 ALAN H. The examination of a single mythological character through so many different methodological perspectives is an approach which one hopes will be applied to other mythic figures. There is a pleasing sense of collegiality and idea-sharing about this corporate effort many authors refer to and are influenced by the ideas of other contributors. The individual theories and observations about Medea, be they philosophical, literary, or mythographic, gain resonance from their collectivity. The volume is actually more than the sum of its parts, as any good collection of essays should be. The collection thus spans the evolution of Medea from her preliterary origins to modern incarnations. McDonald's musical analysis is sensitive and knowledgeable, and she writes elegantly on the opera's ability to produce an Aristotelian katharsis. In contrast, Mikis Theodorakis' modern Greek opera (Bilbao 1991 Athens 1993) emphasizes tragic aspects of both Medea and Jason. ![]() ![]() Apparently so, since in Kennelly's version she symbolizes the Irish victim who fights against English exploitation. "Is Medea's crime Medea's glory?" asks Irish playwright Brendan Kennelly (Medea 75). A range of oppressed peoples (for example Africa and Haiti) have adopted Medea as an "emblem for the colonized turning the tables on the colonizer" (304). The final essay by Marianne McDonald, "Medea as politician and diva: Riding the dragon into the future," is an excellent discussion of modern variations of the Euripidean Medea, with special emphasis on two versions. ![]() Expressions such as "zooming devices" and "a dominant dimension of signification" add to the general prolixity, but the author does make valuable observations regarding the change in Medea's iconography in the fifth century. In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:īOOKREVIEWS/COMPTES RENDUS 145 offers nothing new.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |