Rebel women - John M Dillon

AncientGreek drama provides the modern stage with a host of powerful femalecharacters who stand in opposition to the patriarchal structures thatseek to limit and define them. For contemporary theatre directors theirrepresentation serves as a vehicle for examining and illuminatingissues of gender, power, family and morality, as germane today as whenthe plays were first written.

Rebel Women brings togetheressays by leading writers from across different disciplines examiningthe representation of ancient Greek heroines in their original contextsand on today's stage. Divided into three sections, it considers in turninternational productions, Irish versions, and studies of the originaltexts. The articles explore how such characters as Iphigenia, Medea,Antigone and Clytemnestra have been portrayed in recent times and thechallenges and provocation they offer to both contemporary audiencesand dramatists alike.

'Seamus Heaney and Athol Fugard are broughttogether as contributors by the inspiration that ancient Greek tragedyhas offered to them both. There are offerings here on Iphigenia, Medea,Antigone, Clytemnestra, film, drama, Greece, Russia … and especiallyIreland. Amidst all this variety, the level of interest and ofscholarship are consistently high.' Oliver Taplin, Professor ofClassical Languages and Literature, Oxford University