Greek Plays in England

Chapter 1, “Greek Plays in England,” argues that England played a crucial role in new transnational conversations about rediscovered Greek plays. The chapter traces the history of scholarship, translation, and publication of Greek plays in England, with a focus on the contributions of Erasmus. It develops extended readings of two important early contributions—Jane, Lady Lumley’s Tragedy of Iphigenia , a translation of Euripides’ Iphigenia in Aulis , and George Gascoigne and Francis Kinwelmersh’s Jocasta , a translation of Euripides’ Phoenician Women— as well as discussing Thomas Watson’s Latin translation of Antigone . The chapter closes by exploring knowledge of Greek among writers for London’s commercial theaters, and identifying key plays and figures that loomed large in English dramatic responses.

Art · Art history · Erasmus · Greek tragedy · Literature · Scholarship · The Renaissance · Watson · Classics · History · Philippine History and Culture