num_pages: 282
description: Orestes and Other Plays provides new translations of Ion, Orestes, The Phoenician Women and The Suppliant Women , plays that all explore ethical and political themes. Ion vividly portrays the role of chance in human life and the dynamics of family relationships.In Orestes , the most popular of the tragedian's plays about the ancient world, Euripides explores the emotional consequences of Orestes' murder of his mother on the individuals concerned, and makes the tale resonate with advice to Athens about the threat to democracy posed by political pressuregroups. The Suppliant Women is a commentary on the politics of empire, as the Athenian king Theseus decides to use force of arms rather than persuasion against Thebes. The Phoenician Women transforms the terrible conflict between Oedipus' sons into one of the most savage indictments of civil war inWestern literature by highlighting the personal tragedy it brings.
language: English
title: Orestes and Other Plays
titlecomplete: Orestes and Other Plays
genres: Mythology, Theatre, Tragedy, Ancient History, Drama, Plays, Literature, Classics, Fiction, Ancient
ratings_count: 308
publisher: Oxford University Press