Marriage to Death: The Conflation of Wedding and Funeral Rituals in Greek Tragedy

Rehm, Rush

ISBN 10: 0691029164 / ISBN 13: 9780691029160

Published by Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ, 1996

About this Item

246 pp. Tightly bound. Spine not compromised. Text is free of markings. Owner's bookplate reverse side front cover, else near fine.

Seller Inventory # 066988

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Marriage to Death: The Conflation of Wedding and Funeral Rituals in Greek Tragedy
• Publisher: Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ
• Publication Date: 1996
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0691029164
• ISBN 13: 9780691029160
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: Very Good to Near Fine

About this title

Synopsis

The link between weddings and death--as found in dramas ranging from Romeo and Juliet to Lorca's Blood Wedding--plays a central role in the action of many Greek tragedies. Female characters such as Kassandra, Antigone, and Helen enact and refer to significant parts of wedding and funeral rites, but often in a twisted fashion. Over time the pressure of dramatic events causes the distinctions between weddings and funerals to disappear. In this book, Rush Rehm considers how and why the conflation of the two ceremonies comes to theatrical life in the tragedies of Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripedes. By focusing on the dramatization of important rituals conducted by women in ancient Athenian society, Rehm offers a new perspective on Greek tragedy and the challenges it posed for its audience.

About the Author

Rush Rehm is Assistant Professor of Drama and Classics at Stanford University and a free-lance theater director. He is the author of Greek Tragic Theatre (Routledge) and Aeschylus' Oresteia: A Theatre Version (Hawthorn).