The ancient Roman writer Plautus is one of the most important playwrights in Western Civilization. «The Pot of Gold and Other Plays» captures his genius with a collection of famous plays performed in the Roman theatre. Plautus adapted most of his plays from earlier Greek stories, making him essential in helping preserve the history and integrity of Greek theatre. What makes Plautus extraordinary, though, is that he kept the essence of the Greek ...
First published within Shakespeare's «First Folio» of 1623, «All's Well That Ends Well», rides a fascinating dramatic line between the comedy and the tragedy. The play tells the story of Helena, a penniless worker at the Palace of Rousillion, and her cunning adventures to wed Bertram, the prosperous son of Rousillion. When Helena rids the King of France of a peculiar illness, she is rewarded the hand of Bertram. Faced with hesitancy fr ...
Euripides turned to playwriting at a young age, achieving his first victory in the dramatic competitions of the Athenian City Dionysia in 441 b.c.e. He would be awarded this honor three more times in his life, and once more posthumously. His plays are often ironic, pessimistic, and display radical rejection of classical decorum and rules. In 408 b.c.e., Euripides left worn-torn Athens for Macedonia, upon the invitation of King Archelaus, and the ...
One of the most famous poets from classical antiquity, Sophocles was one of three important ancient Greek tragedians, the others being Aeschylus and Euripides. Writing during the 5th century BC, Sophocles created some one hundred and twenty three plays during his lifetime, of which only seven have survived in their entirety. Included in this edition are those seven complete plays, as translated by Lewis Campbell and include the following: Antigo ...
The first drama in the Oedipus Trilogy, «Oedipus Rex», is the tragic tale of Oedipus who has accidentally killed his father and married his mother. One of the most widely read of all Greek tragedies, «Oedipus Rex», stands as one of not only the greatest dramas from classical antiquity but as one of the greatest dramas of all time. Its influence on literature and theatre cannot be overstated and it is as compelling today as when it was first perf ...
The third part of Shakespeare's impressive 'Henriad,' this play follows «Richard II» and «Henry IV, Part 1,» and precedes «Henry V.» In this portion of the tetralogy of history plays, Prince Hal is once again out of favor with his father the king, who is in his last months of life. Falstaff, the comical criminal, is further rejected by Prince Hal, who believes he must disassociate himself with the London underworld before becoming ...
"The Merchant of Venice" is the story of Antonio, the drama's title character, and his friend Bassanio. Bassanio is in need of money so that he may woo Portia, a wealthy heiress. Bassanio asks Antonio for a loan and Antonio agrees to this loan, however all his money is tied up in shipping ventures. Together the two go to Shylock, a Jewish moneylender, to request a loan for Bassanio to be guaranteed against Antonio's shipping ventu ...
Only seven plays of the Ancient Greek dramatist Sophocles have survived to today. Sophocles is best known for his trilogy of dramas known as the “Three Theban Plays”, which is comprised of the plays “Oedipus Rex”, “Oedipus at Colonus”, and “Antigone”. The remaining four extant plays are collected together in this volume of “Electra and Other Plays”. First in this collection we find “Ajax”, the oldest of Sophocles plays which unfolds the destiny ...
Often recognized as the father of tragedy, this collection of plays by the ancient Greek soldier and playwright Aeschylus is a testament to his skill and enduring legacy in the history of theatre. In «Suppliant Maidens,» the fifty daughters of Danaus flee from marriages to the fifty sons of their uncle, showing an obedience to their father that has tragic consequences. «The Persians», thought to be the oldest surviving play in the history of dra ...
