Students and non-specialists seeking a quick and seamless introduction to Athenian tragedy should look no further than this handy little book. In four chapters F. covers the basics of tragedy's origins and development over the course of the fifth century bce, while also attending to the intricacies of its performance through three case studies: Aeschylus’ Seven Against Thebes, Sophocles’ Oedipus Tyrannus and Euripides’ Helen. A brief epilogue considers fourth-century tragedy. Despite the book's condensed nature, F. manages to draw attention to the flexibility and innovative nature of the tragic genre.
The introduction and general discussions of the three case studies effectively balance general facts about tragedy with detailed attention to the specific themes and concerns of particular plays. The chapter on Aeschylus’ Seven Against Thebes, for example, examines the tragedy's connection to war and enemies and how this is elaborated throughout the drama, from prologue to exodos. Likewise, the chapter on Sophocles weaves in detailed discussion of the wider mythic tradition around Oedipus, including lost tragedies by other playwrights beyond the canonical three, whereas the examination of Helen considers the issue of religion and the role of women in tragedy. In this way F. provides both a careful consideration of individual plays and a basic overview of the salient features and structures of the tragic genre.
One of the main strengths of the book is its emphasis on performance. Throughout her discussions F. continually draws attention to performance realities. The chapter on Seven Against Thebes contains sections on the specifics of tragedy's production in Athens, such as the introduction of the third actor and the role of objects, song and dance. Attention to performance continues in the Oedipus chapter with two concluding sections addressing matters relating to spectacle and audience. The first discusses how certain elements such as stage placement and proxemics ‘energize the performance space’ (p. 86), whereas the second explores audiences past and present in a wider discussion of Oedipus’ appeal in the ancient and the modern worlds. For Helen F. additionally draws attention to the role of costumes in tragedy as well as other spectacular elements such as the mēchanē. In this way the book is anchored in the practicalities of the stage.
What this reviewer especially enjoyed is F.'s seamless weaving of scholarship in both Classics and Theatre and Performance Studies. Besides discussion of seminal scholarship on Greek tragedy by scholars such as S. Goldhill, O. Taplin and F. Zeitlin, F. includes references to critical work in Theatre Studies. For example, the book successfully discusses the application of R. Schechner's concept of ‘sociometric’ space to the rapport between actors and chorus (p. 9), A. Sofer's thoughts on the ‘invisible’ dimension of theatre (p. 22) and G. McAuley's insights on performance space (p. 42). Moreover, F. does not hesitate to travel beyond the tragic realm: she examines other relevant and thematic areas in Greek literature including Homer and lyric, which results in more nuanced discussion.
More learned audiences, however, might quibble with certain aspects of the book. The discussion of the Oedipus myth is, for instance, myopically focused on Oedipus, which is curious when a fuller consideration of his children would have facilitated a better link to the previous chapter on Seven Against Thebes. Despite recognising that it is ‘unscientific’ to generalise based on what is effectively 3% of surviving fifth-century output (p. 95), F. structures her account on the same stereotypical headlines that have continually plagued the genre since Aristotle. This is evident from the chapter titles: whereas Aeschylus is an example of ‘early tragedy’, Sophocles represents its ‘mature form’, and Euripides is the young controversial artist who valued ‘innovation’, even though Sophocles and Euripides were contemporaries. Finally, the book ends with a strange statement of tragedy's ‘timeless’ nature (p. 141), a note that rings false in what is effectively a thorough examination of the genre in its fifth-century context and in which tragedy's modern rich reception is only mentioned in passing (p. 92). A few cited items are also missing from the bibliography (e.g. K. Valakas [2002]).
Despite these few shortcomings the book has much to offer, especially for a general audience. Published in Methuen Drama's ‘Forms of Drama’ series, this slim volume is intended for non-specialists. In effect, the book is extremely accessible. The Greek, always quoted in transliteration, is minimal; when cited, it is employed to great effect, for example to illustrate the onomatopoetic effects of hoplokup’ ōti in Aeschylus’ Seven Against Thebes 83 (p. 23). F. likewise keeps notes to a minimum. Complicated matters such as the authenticity of certain scenes are summarised concisely and clearly and used to draw attention to the challenges of interpreting and understanding Greek tragedy today. Notwithstanding this simplicity, F. provides an updated and informed account of tragedy, one that includes the latest research on Greek tragedy, from S. Nooter's work on the soundscape of tragedy to L. Jackson's examination of fourth-century chorus. In short, this is a clear and engaging book that successfully outlines the essentials of Greek tragedy and its performance in fifth-century bce Athens.
