Bacchae [Paperback]

Euripides (Author), Paul Woodruff (Translator, Introduction)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0872203921 | ISBN-13: 978-0872203921 | Publication Date: September 1, 1998

This translation is intended primarily for classroom use. It is aimed first of all at being clear and true to the basic meaning of the text. After that Paul Woodruff has tried to bring across some of the beauty of poetry given the chorus as well as the rhetorical power and cleverness of the dialogue and speeches. The translation of this play through manuscript is unusually troublesome; many lines seem to have fallen out during copying and storage over the centuries and many errors have been introduced Although the author has supplied a few lines to fill small gaps where the meaning is obvious, he has not devised speeches to make up for the lost passages at the end; instead the author has included an appendix with the main evidence that pertains to them.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"An excellent translation which captures Bacchae's combination of colloquial and lyric language. The Notes and Introduction are also very helpful." -- Mary-Kay Gamel, University of California, Santa Cruz

[Woodruff's translation] is clear, fluent, and vigorous, well thought out, readable and forceful. The rhythms are right, ever present but not too insistent or obvious. it can be spoken instead of read and so is viable as an acting version: and it keeps the lines of the plot well focused. The Introduction offers a good survey of critical approaches. The notes at the foot of the page are suitably brief and non-intrusive and give basic information for the non-specialist. --Charles Segal, Harvard University


"This text is one of the finest commentaries on any Greek play, and is also priced to be usable. Thank you!" --Linda Clader, Carleton College

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Greek

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 82 pages
• Publisher: Hackett Pub Co (September 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0872203921
• ISBN-13: 978-0872203921
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.2 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #49,154 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #5 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Literature & Fiction > Authors, A-Z > ( E ) > Euripides
  • #16 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Literature & Fiction > Drama > Greek & Roman
  • #51 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Drama > Greek & Roman

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The most verbally extravagant of all Greek dramas., August 29, 2001

By 

darragh o'donoghue - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bacchae (Dover Thrift Editions) (Paperback)

If, like me, you had Greek Tragedy down as an austere thing, full of parched plains, unswerving Fate and dour verse, then 'The Bacchae' might come as a pleasant surprise. It has these things of course, but the first quality that shocks is the vibrant, fervid excess of the language. The story concerns Dionysus, the God of wine, the Life Force, the Chaos of the Irrational etc., who inspires a possessed devotion in his acolytes, as they express themselves in high-flown, ecstatic rhapsodies. Not every one takes this proto-hippie's divinity seriously, in particular the family of his mortal mother, led by the impetuous teenage king Pentheus, who sees all this Bacchanalia in the woods and mountains in loose robes as so much lechery. Dionysus exacts such terrible revenge on these unbelievers that 'Bacchae' makes Shakespeare's 'Titus Andronicus' look like a Julie Andrews vehicle.
If Sophocles' 'Oedipus the King' is the first detective story, than 'Bacchae' might be the first police procedural - a central sequence sees Pentheus arrest Dionysus and interrogate him, a scene as tightly written and suspenseful as any thriller. But detection and policing, embodying the forces of reason and the Law, have no power against the Irrational or Unknowable, and Pentheus is soon made mad, his order and sense of self in tatters. The terrible grip of irony familiar from Greek Tragedy gives the play a violent momentum, but the most extraordinary scenes take place offstage, related in vivid and tumultuous monolgues by messengers - the whirlwind revenge of Dionysus' female followers on the forces of surveilling civilisation, and the cruel enactment of the God's revenge. This idea of hearing about improbable catastrophes but not being able to see them adds ot the supernatural terror that is the play's fevered life-blood.

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best translations out there, June 11, 2003

By 

Colleen Sentance - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bacchae (Paperback)

I am a classical history major with a focus on poetry and drama. I have actually read Bacchae in Attic Greek and I have to say that I find this translation to be one of the most fluid and natural of any that I have ever read. I would highky recommend this to anyone looking for a well-written, very gory introduction to Greek theatre. This edition is also great for using as a script, wheras many translations are good only for reading. I just put up a production using this translation and my actors were very comfortable with the wonderful language Woodruff uses.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting, December 4, 2000

By 

Ashareh (Nashville, TN United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bacchae (Paperback)

A solid translation of the fascinating and passionate story of Dionysus in Thebes, although it lacks the lyricism of other translations. Woodruff's version is meant to be performed aloud, and so it has more of the feel of a play to it. Students of literature and classics might want a different version; students of drama and theatre would be interested in this translation.