Seneca Hercules

Hercules is a tragedy written by Seneca that addresses central issues of early imperial Rome, such as violence and madness, family and self, Rome, identity, and place, virtue, immortality, the theatre of rage, and the empire of death. It is a comprehensive introduction, newly edited Latin text, English verse translation, and detailed exegetic, analytic, and interpretative commentary. It has had a significant influence on European drama from the sixteenth to the twenty-first centuries and is useful to scholars and students of classics, comparative literature, and drama.

Format: Hardback
Length: 816 pages
Publication date: 06 July 2023
Publisher: Oxford University Press

Hercules, a tragedy of immense theatrical, poetic, and cultural significance, was likely written at the crossroads of the principates of Claudius and Nero. This profound work addresses central themes of early imperial Rome, resonating deeply with our contemporary times. Among its profound concerns are violence and madness, the imperatives of family and self, Rome's identity and place, the nature of virtue, the yearning for immortality, the theatre of rage, and the empire of death. The play is a dramatic masterpiece, showcasing innovative techniques, breathtaking spectacle, and captivating storytelling. From its fiery, monumental god-prologue, through meditative soliloquies, impassioned speeches, trenchant dialogue, a failed wooing scene with an impressive afterlife in Tudor drama, a stunning entrance for Hercules and his captured hellhound, Theseus' ecphrastic narrative of the hero's infernal labor, to a familial madness scene and an emotionally turbulent, non-violent finale, in which the instinct for self-punitive suicide is thwarted by the claims of kinship and the acceptance of intolerable suffering, the play unfolds in a series of powerful moments. Seneca's most affecting choral lyrics, intellectually engaging as they are emotionally potent, bind the whole together.

Hercules is A. J. Boyle's sixth full-scale edition for OUP of a play by or attributed to Seneca. It provides a comprehensive introduction, newly edited Latin text, English verse translation designed for both performance and academic study, and a detailed exegetic, analytic, and interpretative commentary. The aim has been to elucidate the text dramatically as well as philologically, placing the play firmly in its contemporary historical and theatrical context and the ensuing literary and dramatic tradition. As such, Hercules has exerted a substantial influence on European drama from the sixteenth to the twenty-first century.

In conclusion, Hercules is a tragedy of unparalleled theatrical, poetic, and cultural significance. Written at a pivotal moment in Roman history, it explores profound themes that continue to resonate with us today. Through its innovative storytelling, breathtaking spectacle, and powerful choral lyrics, the play remains a testament to the enduring power of theatre to engage, inspire, and challenge audiences.

Weight: 986g
Dimension: 223 x 147 x 48 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780198856948