Medea/Electra: A Companion to the Penguin Translation

by John Ferguson

Euripides was particularly noted for his sensitive portrayals of women and for finding a sympathetic side to those whom the stock mythology tended to see as evil monsters, such as Helen of Troy. Medea murdered her children by Jason when he deserted her fora new wife; Electra and Orestes killed their own mother in revenge for her betrayal and murder of their father Agamemnon. This kind of searing tragedy may easily be read in translation but its appreciation inevitably involves conventions and references which may elude the reader.

This volume contains an introduction outlining the background of Athenian tragedy: how it was presented; what was its fifth-century social and political context; how were these two particular plays conceived and constructed? This is followed by a line-by line commentary based on the translation of Philip Vellacott (Penguin Classics), though it may be used profitably with other versions as well.

64 pages, Paperback

Published June 1, 1991

About the author

John Ferguson (b. Manchester, 2 March 1921; d. Birmingham, 22 May 1989) studied Classics and Theology, becoming Professor of Classics at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. He was subsequently founding Dean of Arts at the Open University, and President of the Selly Oak Colleges, Birmingham. Ferguson took part in the Dunblane Consultations from 1962 onwards (see Dunblane Praises*). He was a lay preacher in the Congregational Church, after 1972 in the United Reformed Church. He was a committed Christian pacifist, and did much work for the Fellowship of Reconciliation (he was co-editor, with his wife, of Reconciliation Quarterly). Author of more than 50 books.