The OresteiaHighly acclaimed as translators of Greek and Sanskrit classics, respectively, David Grene and Wendy Doniger O'Flaherty here present a complete modern translation of the three plays comprising Aeschylus' Orestia and, with the assistance of director Nicholas Rudall, an abridged stage adaptation. This blanced and highly successful collaboration of scholars with a theater director solves the contemporary problems of translating and staging the Orestia, which originally was written to be performed in Athens in the first half of the fifth century B.C. While remaning faithful to the original Greek, Grene and O'Flaherty embrace a strong and adventurous English style, vivid and visceral. The language of this extraordinary translation, immediately accessible to a theater audience, speaks across the centuries. Premiered at Chicago's Court Theater in 1986 under Rudall's direction, the stage adaptation of the Orestia proved eminently playable. This new adaptation of the orestia offers a brilliant demonstration of how clearly defined goals (here, the actor's needs) can inspire translators to produce fresh, genuine, accessible dramatic texts. The resulting work provides complete and accurate texts for those who cannot read the original Greek, and it transforms the Orestia into an effective modern stage play. With interpretive introductions written by the translators and director, this new version will be welcomed by teachers of translation courses, by students of Greek and world drama in general, and by theater professionals. |
Contents
1 | |
The Theatrical Perspective Nicholas Rudall | 17 |
Translating for the Stage and from the Stage Wendy Doniger OFlatherty | 27 |
Unabridged Translation | 33 |
Agamemnon | 35 |
The Libation Bearers | 95 |
The Eumenides | 135 |
Acting Version | 173 |
Agamemnon | 175 |
The Libation Bearers | 209 |
The Eumenides | 233 |
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Common terms and phrases
Aegisthus Aeschylus Aeschylus's Agamemnon altar ancient anger Argive Argos Athena Atreidae beneath the earth blood bring Cassandra Oh child Chorus Yes citizens cries curse dark daughter David Grene dead dearest death destruction dishonored dream Electra enemy Enter Clytemnestra Enter Orestes Eumenides evil eyes fate father fear fire friends Furies give godless woman gods Gorgons grave Greek hair hand hate hear heart Herald Hermes Hesiod honor husband Ilium Iphigeneia justice justly king land Libation Bearers light live look Lord Apollo man's Menelaus mind mortal Mother Night mourning murder Nicholas Rudall night nurse oath oracle Oresteia pity play pray prayer Priam prophecy prophet purple Pylades reverence robe ruin sacrifice sleep song sons of Atreus sorrow speak spirit spoke story stranger stroke Strophius suffering tears tell terror things Thyestes tongue Troy victory voice witness woman words young gods Zeus