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epicpinkfluffyunicorn's review
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
ehhhhhhhhhhhhh nah. i feel like orestia is better (haven’t read it yet but that trilogy is what he’s rly acclaimed for): this just seems like the flop b-sides.
lux13's review
3.0
The 3 star rating is for the translation and this particular edition . Not necessarily for the plays themselves .
Prometheus bound - I love that this explored Gods in a different light . What do we call Gods ? Especially when they do more harm than good . Prometheus has always been a figure cloaked in mystery and misery for me and this somehow added to his enigma . Io's has one of the saddest stories ever even by Ancient Greek standard . Her opening speech was particularly powerful and heart wrenchingly beautiful .
Suppliants - Definitely a play that is different in tone than the other ones . I found it ironic that the Danaids are asking mainly for the help of Zeus FROM rapists . The suffering he and Hera caused Io ( Their ancestor ) was just too raw in my mind . Anyway , this was interesting . The way Pelasgus handled everything was fun to witness .
Seven against Thebes - Possibly my favorite from this collection . This was so moving and beautiful . The way the events unfolded mirrored the way they did in Oedipus the king . The way Aeschylus questioned the idea of free will in myths was in contrast to Sophocles . And Antigone and Ismene's mourning was beautifully rendered . The way the chorus split away at the end !! I fell for this play tbh.
Persians - This was unique . Instead of a myth or a legend , actual history is the main focus here . I loved the little parts where Athens is praised . We can actually see the author trying to please the group of Athenians sitting in front of him . As a whole , this was informative and enjoyable .
Thoughts on the collection - I didn't really like this edition because the notes were lacking in content . I also didn't enjoy the writing that much . So I'm going to try out different editions and translations .
Prometheus bound - I love that this explored Gods in a different light . What do we call Gods ? Especially when they do more harm than good . Prometheus has always been a figure cloaked in mystery and misery for me and this somehow added to his enigma . Io's has one of the saddest stories ever even by Ancient Greek standard . Her opening speech was particularly powerful and heart wrenchingly beautiful .
Suppliants - Definitely a play that is different in tone than the other ones . I found it ironic that the Danaids are asking mainly for the help of Zeus FROM rapists . The suffering he and Hera caused Io ( Their ancestor ) was just too raw in my mind . Anyway , this was interesting . The way Pelasgus handled everything was fun to witness .
Seven against Thebes - Possibly my favorite from this collection . This was so moving and beautiful . The way the events unfolded mirrored the way they did in Oedipus the king . The way Aeschylus questioned the idea of free will in myths was in contrast to Sophocles . And Antigone and Ismene's mourning was beautifully rendered . The way the chorus split away at the end !! I fell for this play tbh.
Persians - This was unique . Instead of a myth or a legend , actual history is the main focus here . I loved the little parts where Athens is praised . We can actually see the author trying to please the group of Athenians sitting in front of him . As a whole , this was informative and enjoyable .
Thoughts on the collection - I didn't really like this edition because the notes were lacking in content . I also didn't enjoy the writing that much . So I'm going to try out different editions and translations .
aliensupersoldier's review
4.0
“Dost thou not know, that words are sweet physicians To minds diseased with wrath?”
thaliajac's review
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
lnewton's review
4.0
This collection of plays contains 4 out of 7 of Aeschylus' surviving plays: Prometheus Bound, The Suppliants, Seven Against Thebes and The Persians. Of these I preferred Prometheus Bound and Seven Against Thebes over the other two, though they are all very good plays and are worth reading for anyone interested in Ancient Greece.
nikkivrc's review
3.0
I know this is probably sacrilege, but I have to admit I'm not too crazy about this collection. It started off really well - I loved 'Prometheus bound'. Prometheus is probably one of the most famous figures in Greek mythology, but I didn't really know much about him except that he brought fire to mankind and was punished by being chained to a rock and having a bird come tear out some organ or other every day. It was interesting to learn more about the story from Prometheus' own point of view. The other plays though, couldn't interest me nearly as much.
therowdypi's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Torture
looney_moons's review
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Torture and Violence