The Stagecraft of Aeschylus : The Dramatic Use of Exits and Entrances in Greek Tragedy

The visual effect of the staging of Aeschylus' plays was an essential part of their impact. All that survives today are the scripts but this book attempts to search for clues of Aeschylus' stagecraft in the texts of the plays themselves.

The visual effect of the staging of Aeschylus'' plays was an essential part of their impact. And yet all that survives today are the scripts. Imagination, helped by anachronistic sources, has played the chief role for those dealing with the dramaturgy of Aeschylus'' works, and the result has usually been stages crowded with extras and equipment.In this book, the author approaches the subject from a completely different angle. He clears the stage and looks for clues of Aeschylus'' stagecraft in the texts of the plays themselves. He concentrates his study in an analysis of the exits and entrances in Aeschylus'' works with constant reference to the practice of Sophocles and Euripides as well. His arguments and conclusions are fascinating and thought-provoking, and make the book indispensable for anyone interested in ancient Greek drama and its staging.