Greek Tragedy in Action

Oliver Taplin's seminal study was revolutionary in drawing out the significance of stage action in Greek tragedy at a time when plays were often read purely as texts, rather than understood as performances.Professor Taplin explores nine plays, including Aeschylus' agamemnon and Sophocles' Oedipus the King. The details of theatrical techniques and stage directions, used by playwrights to highlight key moments, are drawn out and related to the meaning of each play as a whole. With extensive translated quotations, the essential unity of action and speech in Greek tragedy is demonstrated.Now firmly established as a classic text, Greek Tragedy in Action is even more relevant today, when performances of Greek tragedies and plays inspired by them have had such an extraordinary revival around the world.

List of plates, Preface, 1. The visual dimension of tragedy, 2. Stage management and stage directions, 3. Introduction to nine plays, 4. Exits and entrances, 5. Actions and gestures, 6. Objects and tokens, 7. Tableaux, noises and silences, 8. Mirror scenes, 9. Scenic sequence, 10. Emotion and meaning in the theatre, 11. Round plays in square theatres, Notes, Select bibliography, Index of passages discussed, General index

Oliver Taplin