The Bacchae of Euripides: A Communion Rite

The Bacchae of Euripides: A Communion RiteWole Soyinka has translated in both language and spirit a great classic of ancient Greek theater. He does so with a poet's ear for the cadences and rhythms of chorus and solo verse as well as a commanding dramatic use of the central social and religious myth. In his hands The Bacchae becomes a communal feast, a tumultuous celebration of life, and a robust ritual of the human and social psyche. "The Bacchae is the rites of an extravagant banquet, a

Wole Soyinka has translated--in both language and spirit--a great classic of ancient Greek theater. He does so with a poet's ear for the cadences and rhythms of chorus and solo verse as well as a commanding dramatic use of the central social and religious myth. In his hands The Bacchae becomes a communal feast, a tumultuous celebration of life, and a robust ritual of the human and social psyche. "The Bacchae is the rites of an extravagant banquet, a monstrous feast," Soyinka writes. "Man reaffirms his indebtedness to earth, dedicates himself to the demands of continuity, and invokes the energies of productivity. Reabsorbed within the communal psyche he provokes the resources of nature; in turn he is replenished for the cyclic rain in his fragile individual potency." The blending of two master playwrights--Euripides and Soyinka--makes for an unforgettable experience.

Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
Published: 07/17/2004
ISBN: 9780393325836
Pages: 128
Weight: 0.35lbs
Size: 8.40h x 5.40w x 0.40d