Oresteia
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€18.50
The Oresteia comprises three of the greatest plays of all time: Agamemnon, The Cheophori and The Eumenides. Concerned with the immediate aftermath of the Trojan War as it affects the accursed royal house of Atreus, it follows a singularly harrowing course, from the bloodiest domestic discord to divine intervention and reconciliation. Ted Hughes's translation was written in his most pared-down and powerfully driven verse, at once equal to Aeschylus's tragic vision and speaking directly to modern audiences and readers. The plays were first performed at the National Theatre in 1999 under the direction of Katie Mitchell.
Ted Hughes (1930-1998) was born in Yorkshire. His first book, The Hawk in the Rain, was published in 1957 by Faber & Faber and was followed by many volumes of poetry and prose for adults and children. He received the Whitbread Book of the Year for two consecutive years for his last published collections of poetry, Tales from Ovid and Birthday Letters. He was Poet Laureate from 1984, and in 1998 he was appointed to the Order of Merit.