Medea

Fülszöveg

Medea
Essays on Medea in Myth, Literature, Philosophy, and Art
Edited by James J. Clauss and Sarah Iles Johnston
"Medea is a model of how one goes about configuring and interpreting any of our long-lasting inheritances from Greek myth. The editors have done well in placing the figure of Medea within so many relevant contexts. They force us to rethink this problematic mythic character in various modes—religious, philosophical, artistic, and literary. The richness of its subject should make this book appeal to a wide audience."
—Richard R Martin, Princeton University
From the dawn of European literature, the figure of Medea—best known as the helpmate of Jason and murderer of her own children—has inspired artists in all fields throughout all centuries. Euripides, Seneca, Comeille, Delacroix, Anouilh, Pasolini, Maria Callas, Martha Graham, Samuel Barber, and Diana Rigg are among the many who have given Medea life on stage, film, and canvas, through music and dance, from ancient... Tovább

Fülszöveg

Medea
Essays on Medea in Myth, Literature, Philosophy, and Art
Edited by James J. Clauss and Sarah Iles Johnston
"Medea is a model of how one goes about configuring and interpreting any of our long-lasting inheritances from Greek myth. The editors have done well in placing the figure of Medea within so many relevant contexts. They force us to rethink this problematic mythic character in various modes—religious, philosophical, artistic, and literary. The richness of its subject should make this book appeal to a wide audience."
—Richard R Martin, Princeton University
From the dawn of European literature, the figure of Medea—best known as the helpmate of Jason and murderer of her own children—has inspired artists in all fields throughout all centuries. Euripides, Seneca, Comeille, Delacroix, Anouilh, Pasolini, Maria Callas, Martha Graham, Samuel Barber, and Diana Rigg are among the many who have given Medea life on stage, film, and canvas, through music and dance, from ancient Greek drama to Broadway. In seeking to understand the powerful hold Medea has had on our imaginations for nearly three millennia, a group of renowned scholars here explores the secret of her longevity in her complexity.
Unlike most mythic figures, whose attributes remain constant throughout mythology, Medea is continually changing in the wide variety of stories that circulated during antiquity. She appears as enchantress, helper-maiden, infanticide, fratricide, kidnapper, founder of cities, and foreigner. Not only does Medea's checkered career illuminate the opposing concepts of self and other, as she veers between desirable and undesirable behavior, it also suggests the disturbing possibility of otherness within self. This collection of essays examines the major representations of Medea in myth, art, and ancient and contemporary literature, as well as the philosophical, psychological, and cultural questions these portrayals raise. The result is a comprehensive and nuanced look at one of the most captivating mythic figures of all time.
In addition to the editors, the contributors are Fritz Graf, Nita Krevans, Jan Bremmer, Dolores M. O'Higgins, Deborah Boedeker, Carole E. Newlands, John M. Dillon, Martha C. Nussbaum, Christiane Sourvinou-lnwood, and Marianne McDonald.
James J. Clauss is Associate Professor of Classics at the University of Washington and is the author of The Best of the Argonauts. Sarah lies Johnston is Associate Professor of Classics at The Ohio State University and is the author of Hekate Soteira.
Cover illustration: Frederick Sandys' Medea (1866-1868). Reproduced with the kind permission of the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, Birmingham, England. Cover design by Donald Hatch
PRINCETON PAPERBACKS
ISBN 0-691-04376-0 Vissza