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- Title
Afterword: Greek texts and the early modern stage.
- Authors
Martindale, Charles
- Abstract
This article constitutes a response to this special issue of Classical Receptions Journal and especially to its introduction, which makes a strong case for the importance of Greek texts in the Early Modern period. It accepts the proposition that there was a revival, promoted by Erasmus, of scholarly interest in Greek imaginative literature, in the original, in Latin translation, and in various vernaculars. But it also asks how much real difference Greek made to writing in English and whether Early Modern writers offer powerfully dialogic receptions of Greek authors, in the way they clearly do of Latin authors, arguing thatmuchmore scholarly and critical work is needed to determine this issue. The importance of various forms of mediation, often indirect, in the processes of reception is stressed. Thus it can be claimed that Shakespeare s Roman plays, based on Plutarch, constitute the age s most compelling reception of Greek literature, at least until Milton; but of course Shakespeare was using, not the original, but an English translation from the French. A consolidated study of the role of Greek in the literature and culture of the English Renaissance, without special pleading, remains a key desideratum.
- Subjects
GREEK drama; LATIN translations of Greek literature; SHAKESPEARE, William, 1564-1616; RENAISSANCE drama; PLUTARCH, ca. 46-120
- Publication
Classical Receptions Journal, 2017, Vol 9, Issue 1, p166
- ISSN
1759-5134
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1093/crj/clw011