Böcker i Greenwood Introduces Literary Masterpieces-serien

Aeschylus' Oresteia, Sophocles' Oedipus plays, Euripides' Medea and Bacchae, and Aristophanes' Birds and Lysistrata are discussed in this lively and scholarly volume. The author's experience teaching these plays to gifted high school students makes this volume particularly useful. The drama festivals, the adaptations of myth, the relevance of Aristotelian criteria, and the political and cultural background of each play are described fully, and the nature of tragedy and comedy, plot construction, stagecraft, theme, character, imagery and individual odes and speeches are analyzed in depth.The 5th century BC witnessed the flourishing of Athenian culture and was one of the most influential periods in history. The achievements of the Greeks at that time forever shaped our political and legal institutions and provided the foundation for Western civilization. At the same time, the world of the Greeks is distant and exotic to contemporary students. The values and beliefs of the Greeks are best represented in the plays that were crafted at that time, and these works continue to be widely read and studied. This book is a valuable introduction to ancient Greek drama.Designed for high school students, undergraduates, and their teachers, this work describes the origins and physical aspects of ancient Greek theatre, discusses Aristotle's Poetics, and analyzes, in ten separate chapters, ten frequently studied Greek plays: Aeschylus' Oresteia, Sophocles' Antigone, Oedipus Rex and Oedipus at Colonus, Euripides' Medea and Bacchae and Aristophanes' Birds and Lysistrata. For each there is cultural, political and mythological background, plot synopsis, and analysis of overall structure and important scenes, speeches and odes. The Aristophanes chapters explore comic method and all chapters discuss theme and stagecraft in depth.

Modern British and Irish dramatic works are among the plays most widely read by students. This volume conveniently introduces 10 major plays by British and Irish dramatists. Each chapter is devoted to a particular play and includes a brief biography, a plot synopsis, a discussion of major themes and characters, an overview of the play's historical background, an analysis of the work's dramatic style, an overview of the play's critical reception, and a list of works for further reading.Modern British and Irish dramatic works are widely enjoyed by general readers and high school students. But because they are rooted in literary Modernism and generally reflect particular historical and cultural concerns, they can also be difficult for students to understand. This volume concisely and conveniently introduces 10 masterpieces of British and Irish drama in an accessible manner.

American playwrights have made enormous contributions to world drama during the last century, and their works are widely read and performed. This reference conveniently introduces 10 of the most important modern American plays read by students. An introductory essay concisely overviews modern American drama, and each of the chapters that follow examines a particular play. Among the plays discussed are Thornton Wilder's Our Town, Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman, Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun, and August Wilson's The Piano Lesson. Each chapter includes a biography, a plot summary, an analysis of the play's themes, characters, and dramatic art, and a review of its historical background and reception. Chapters list works for further reading, and the volume closes with a selected, general bibliography.

While American and European writers are still central to the high school curriculum, more and more students and teachers are discovering the great literary works outside the Western tradition.

The writers of the Beat Generation wrote during a particularly chaotic period in modern history. The writers of the Beat Generation wrote during a particularly chaotic time in modern American history, as they confronted the threat of a nuclear war, the rise of anti-Communist hysteria, and the growing pressure to conform to social conventions.

Flourishing during the first 2 decades of the 20th century, British Modernism gave birth to some of the world's most influential literary works. An introductory essay surveys and defines Modernism, and a bibliography cites works for further reading. Included are chapters on: Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness E.M.

Some works of philosophy also stand as significant contributions to literature, and some works of literature have profoundly influenced philosophy.

This volume provides a critical introduction to eight landmark novels in 19th- and 20th-century French literature, including The Plague, Madame Bovary, and The Little Prince.

This book gives students and general readers an introduction to ten masterpieces of Jewish American literature. Each chapter provides biographical information, a plot summary, a discussion of characters, an analysis of themes, an examination of narrative style, an exploration of historical context, and suggestions for further reading.

The Romantic movement led to some of the greatest works of 19th-century American literature.