Helen (Greek Tragedy in New Translations)

Helen (Greek Tragedy in New Translations)

Transcending the literal bounds of genre, Euripides' Helen has been characterized as both a comedy and a tragedy. In this evocative translation by James Michie and Colin Leach, Euripides' delicate balance--in all its subtlety of texture and tone--is beautifully captured. The reader encounters myriad reversals, worlds--real/ideal, tragic/comic--surprisingly juxtaposed and, as in any story of Helen, the pathos of the impossible, all allowing Euripides to comment of the futility of war and the difficult distinction between appearance and reality. "The translation is clear and conveys well the sense of the original Greek. I much prefer it to the others that are currently available. The introduction gives a good demonstration of the problems of interpretation critics of the play encounter. The notes are very clear and should be helpful to the Greekless reader."--Patricia P. Matsen, University of South Carolina "One can savour these beautiful individual editions."--John Dillon, Hermathena-Trinity College/Dublin "Skillfully represented."--Bernard Bredley, Kings College, London "Well edited, priced right."--Edna L. Steeves, University of Rhode Island Among the legends of ancient Greece, there is perhaps no story more compelling than that of Helen. Her surpassing beauty was said to have launched the Greek fleet of a thousand ships to Troy. No woman was so adored and so hated. She was seen as both prize and scapegoat, the promise of bliss and the assurance of doom. About the Translators : James Michie is translator of The Odes of Horace and The Centennial Hymn . Colin Leach is a Fellow of Pembroke College, Oxford University.