Euripides' Revolution under Cover

An Essay

Fiction & Literature, Literary Theory & Criticism, Ancient & Classical, Nonfiction, Religion & Spirituality, Philosophy, Ancient
Cover of the book Euripides' Revolution under Cover by Pietro Pucci, Cornell University Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Pietro Pucci ISBN: 9781501704048
Publisher: Cornell University Press Publication: March 21, 2016
Imprint: Cornell University Press Language: English
Author: Pietro Pucci
ISBN: 9781501704048
Publisher: Cornell University Press
Publication: March 21, 2016
Imprint: Cornell University Press
Language: English

In this provocative book, Pietro Pucci explores what he sees as Euripides’s revolutionary literary art. While scholars have long pointed to subversive elements in Euripides’s plays, Pucci goes a step further in identifying a Euripidean program of enlightened thought enacted through carefully wrought textual strategies. The driving force behind this program is Euripides’s desire to subvert the traditional anthropomorphic view of the Greek gods—a belief system that in his view strips human beings of their independence and ability to act wisely and justly. Instead of fatuous religious beliefs, Athenians need the wisdom and the strength to navigate the challenges and difficulties of life.

Throughout his lifetime, Euripides found himself the target of intense criticism and ridicule. He was accused of promoting new ideas that were considered destructive. Like his contemporary, Socrates, he was considered a corrupting influence. No wonder, then, that Euripides had to carry out his revolution "under cover." Pucci lays out the various ways the playwright skillfully inserted his philosophical principles into the text through innovative strategies of plot development, language and composition, and production techniques that subverted the traditionally staged anthropomorphic gods.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

In this provocative book, Pietro Pucci explores what he sees as Euripides’s revolutionary literary art. While scholars have long pointed to subversive elements in Euripides’s plays, Pucci goes a step further in identifying a Euripidean program of enlightened thought enacted through carefully wrought textual strategies. The driving force behind this program is Euripides’s desire to subvert the traditional anthropomorphic view of the Greek gods—a belief system that in his view strips human beings of their independence and ability to act wisely and justly. Instead of fatuous religious beliefs, Athenians need the wisdom and the strength to navigate the challenges and difficulties of life.

Throughout his lifetime, Euripides found himself the target of intense criticism and ridicule. He was accused of promoting new ideas that were considered destructive. Like his contemporary, Socrates, he was considered a corrupting influence. No wonder, then, that Euripides had to carry out his revolution "under cover." Pucci lays out the various ways the playwright skillfully inserted his philosophical principles into the text through innovative strategies of plot development, language and composition, and production techniques that subverted the traditionally staged anthropomorphic gods.

More books from Cornell University Press

Cover of the book Good Governance Gone Bad by Pietro Pucci
Cover of the book This Luminous Coast by Pietro Pucci
Cover of the book No Man's Land by Pietro Pucci
Cover of the book Two Weeks Every Summer by Pietro Pucci
Cover of the book Phantom Billing, Fake Prescriptions, and the High Cost of Medicine by Pietro Pucci
Cover of the book Novel Translations by Pietro Pucci
Cover of the book Empire of Dogs by Pietro Pucci
Cover of the book Chaucer and the Poets by Pietro Pucci
Cover of the book Fortifying China by Pietro Pucci
Cover of the book States and the Reemergence of Global Finance by Pietro Pucci
Cover of the book Catholics in the American Century by Pietro Pucci
Cover of the book The NGO Game by Pietro Pucci
Cover of the book The Politics of Voter Suppression by Pietro Pucci
Cover of the book What Universities Can Be by Pietro Pucci
Cover of the book Under the Surface by Pietro Pucci
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy