Chronology

Commentary

1. Synopsis of the Trojan War:
a) timeline and key people
b) representation in ancient Greek literature
c) myth versus history debate

2. Introduction to Euripides, the play and the City Dionysia theatre festival where Euripides' plays were first performed:
a) his relation to Aeschylus and Sophocles
b) his status and success in antiquity
c) trademark dramaturgical qualities of Euripides' plays
d) transmission history of Euripides' plays

3. Original performance context including:
a) the institution of the City Dionysia and the physical space of the Theatre of Dionysus
b) performance conventions of Greek tragedy, including the mask and chorus
c) the individuals involved in producing and staging Greek drama in the C5th

4. Socio-political context including:
a) an introduction to the Peloponnesian War
b) an overview of the Sack of Melos in 416 BCE
c) an overview of debates regarding whether Euripides may have had time to be influenced by the Sack of Melos, and how this backdrop may have informed the audience's reading of the play

5. Modern reception history of the play including:
a) trends in the written translation and adaptation
b) modern performance history, including 6 key productions across a range of geographical locations and on a variety of scales. Focuses on contribution of directors, designers and performers
c) Don Taylor's translation in performance (Katie Mitchell's production at the Royal National Theatre, 2007)

PLAY TEXT

Further reading

Notes