Greek Tragedy An introduction

This is a consice and well-informed introduction to the study of Greek tragedy. Originally published in a German edition in 1986, it is now made available for the first time in English.

Bernhard Zimmermann begins by discussing how the tragic canon was formed and by tracing the early history of the tragic act. In lively and thorough summaries of the major work of Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides, he examines such topics as techniques af characterization, conditions and conventions of stage performances, musical and metrical aspects, and the religious and political content of the plays —especially their relationship to the cult of Dyonysus and to Athenian politics. He also discusses the importance of Greek tragedy for later developments in European literature.