Greek Tragedy in Action - Softcover

'A reissue of Greek Tragedy in Action couldn't be more timely: here is a book that championed new trends in the study of Greek drama, offering fresh readings of old texts and above all a dynamic sense of theatre. Oliver Taplin's viewpoint has proved to be both prophetic and influential.' - Professor Pat Easterling, University of Cambridge

Oliver Taplin's seminal study was revolutionary in drawing out the significance of stage action in Greek tragedy at a time when plays were often read purely as texts, rather than understood as performances.
Professor Taplin explores nine plays, including Aeschylus' agamemnon and Sophocles' Oedipus the King. The details of theatrical techniques and stage directions, used by playwrights to highlight key moments, are drawn out and related to the meaning of each play as a whole. With extensive translated quotations, the essential unity of action and speech in Greek tragedy is demonstrated.
Now firmly established as a classic text, Greek Tragedy in Action is even more relevant today, when performances of Greek tragedies and plays inspired by them have had such an extraordinary revival around the world.