by TedHughes (Author)
Alcestis is the story of a king, Admetus, who is able to escape death because his wife, Alcestis, has volunteered to die in his place. Ted Hughes's version goes beyond translation to an inspired rethinking of the story in terms of his own vision of human suffering. Although he started working on this piece in 1993, he did not finish until a few months before his death in 1998. It is the culmination of an extraordinarily productive period of work, which saw the publication of Tales from Ovid (1997), Birthday Letters (1998) and The Oresteia (1999).
Format: Paperback
Pages: 96
Edition: Main
Publisher: Faber & Faber
Published: 04 Sep 2000
ISBN 10: 0571205801
ISBN 13: 9780571205806
Book Overview: Euripides' Alcestis, translated by Ted Hughes, makes absolutely clear both the unsual power of Euripides' play, but also the formidable talents Ted Hughes marshalled in re-imagining this important work of classical literature.