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Grief Lessons
Grief Lessons: Four Plays by Euripides | Euripides
5 posts | 4 read | 9 to read
For much of Euripides life, the world was at war. The anguish and rage that resulted from a world given over to violence provoked the poet and playwright to create stunning tragedies, whose grief reverberates as accurately today as it did when democratic Athens succumbed to the Peloponnesian Wars. Following an acclaimed translation of Sappho's poems and fragments, If Not, Winter, the acclaimed poet and classicist Anne Carson now turns to the plays of Euripides, chronologically the latest and certainly the most troubled of the major Greek tragedians. One of the most versatile, accomplished, fertile, and plain astonishing writers of our day, Carson is a poet with the acumen of an essayist; and essayist with the lyric gift of a poet; a scholar who is as daring as she is erudite. Euripides, Carson says, is the most unpleasant of the tragedians, which is to say the most tragic, and her bold new translation of his chronicles of superstition and despair offers a new view of his discordant and unsparing art. The four plays included here are Alkestis, Hekuba, Herakles Mad, and Hippolitos. The book includes a general introduction by Carson, along with introductions to each of the plays, and a final "Address to Euripides."
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vivastory
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Several years ago, I binge read the great tragic poets: Aeschylus, Sophocles & Euripides. As the title indicates, this is a collection of tragedies. Included is one of two plays that Euripides wrote about the #mighty figure Herakles. In Herakles, his family is sentenced to death by the Gods while he is away fighting in the underworld. He returns in time to save them, only with disastrous results truly befitting a Greek tragedy.
#maycharacters

Liz_M I enjoyed this edition/translation. Probably would have loved it more if I hadn't read it on an overnight flight (to Greece). 3y
vivastory @Liz_M How long were you in Greece for? I actually haven't read Carson's versions of Euripides. I mostly relied on the Greek Tragedy in New Translations series. I'm planning on rereading several of them soon & will be checking out Carson's version. One of the most memorable events I've attended was Carson reading her translations of Sappho accompanied by choreography. It was pretty remarkable. 3y
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Liz_M That sounds wonderful. I was in Greece for about two weeks, island hopping with a friend and then several days in Athens. It was lovely. 3y
BarbaraBB @Liz_M Those are my plans for this summer - by sailing boat 🤍. Which islands did you like best? 3y
Eggs Fabulous choice❣️Love the classic tragedies 👏🏻👏🏻 3y
Liz_M @BarbaraBB I only went to a handful - Paros, Delos (day trip), Mykonos, Crete, and Hydra. I found a quiet area in Paros and it was lovely. Crete has some fun day trips and good food, Hydra was charming (no cars!). I wish I had gone to Santorini (apparently there is a gorgeous bookstore there). 3y
BarbaraBB @Liz_M Thanks! I just started planning a bit and will take your recommendations into account. Especially the bookstore of course 😀 3y
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Mtroiano
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One of my NYRB winter sale purchases was Grief #Lessons
#springintoreading

vivastory I've read these, but I think I'm due for a reread 5y
Severnmeadows I was just looking at this, wondering whether to buy it! Now I will😊 5y
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Sophoclessweetheart
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“Why does tragedy exist? Because you are full of rage. Why are you full of rage? Because you are full of grief” —
this line has moved me in ways that I cannot put into words. It‘s raw truth, cut deep into my soul as I see myself in it. It makes me wonder if I could do anything but love Euripides because I am full of rage, full of grief and tragedy is a light in the darkness - making you feel you‘re not alone. #euripides #annecarson

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GoneFishing

Come here, let me share a bit of wisdom with you.
Have you given much thought to our mortal condition?
Probably not. Why would you? Well, listen.
All mortals owe a debt to death.
There's no one alive
who can say if he will be tomorrow.
Our fate moves invisibly! A mystery.
No one can teach it, no one can grasp it.
Accept this! Cheer up! Have a drink!...
Because my theory is, there's no such thing as life, it's just catastrophe.

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raygun
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WHY DOES TRAGEDY EXIST? because you are full of rage. WHY ARE YOU FULL OF RAGE? because you are full of grief. -- Anne Carson

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