Aeschylus

The concept, size, and potential readership of the BlackwellIntroductions to the Classical World all make it possible tocontribute a book on Aeschylus that will be distinctive from andcompetitive with the various strong general studies of Aeschylusthat have been published over the past generation (most of which, in fact, are not now available outside of libraries). I propose to write a book on Aeschylus of c.70,000 words (c.200pages) that, in addition to necessary basic material, will focus ona series of tough and exciting interpretive problems (of varyingtypes) in the seven extant plays. The plays will be treatedindividually and chronologically (five of the plays have suredates; the date of Suppliant Women is highly probable; the date ofPrometheus Bound must remain highly speculative). I hope to attracttwo different kinds of audience, one broad and one more targeted.First, I am broadly addressing students, teachers, and generalreaders with an interest in Greek tragedy and ancient drama butwith no knowledge of the Greek language presumed. Second, I am alsoaddressing serious scholars and students of the Classics and ofGreek tragedy. Therefore, I will use a certain amount of Greekterminology and text, but always with a translation provided. Such a book, of moderate size and large purposes, must berigorously selective in the interpretive problems it attacks. Eachchapter on a given play will raise numerous interpretive issues, but I propose to highlight for each play one particular probleminvolving broad issues of dramatic meaning(s) and one involvingmatters of staging. The considerable benefit of the latter effortwill be to emphasize that the plays should always be experienced aslive theater and that staging crucially affects interpretation. Inaddition, in a few places I propose to present textual problemsthat have a major impact on interpretation and that can bedescribed in an accessible way. As I proceed to outline below foreach play the particular issues I propose to highlight, it shouldbe kept in mind that every chapter on a play will also give anoverall interpretive reading.