Aeschylus
The Theater of Dionysos in Athens
Aeschylus wrote tragedies about the difficult choices men (not, in his view, women) have to make, and what happens as a result. His most famous plays are the three plays Agamemnon, the Libation Bearers, and the Eumenides. In Agamemnon, the king has to decide whether to keep his promise to the other kings, even if it means killing his own daughter. In Libation Bearers, that king's son has to decide whether to kill his own mother, because she killed his father. And in Eumenides, a jury has to decide whether the same king's son is guilty of murder.
When Aeschylus died, his tombstone did not even mention his plays. It just said "I fought at Marathon."
To find out more about Aeschylus, check out these books on Amazon.com or in your local library:
Greek Theatre, by Stewart Ross (1999). For kids.
Greek and Roman Theater, by Don Nardo. For teenagers.
The Oresteia, by Aeschylus, translated by Robert Fagles (Penguin Classics). The most famous of the plays Aeschylus wrote. Fagles is a great translator! Includes a version for performance.
Aeschylus, by John Herington (1986). A discussion by a specialist about the life of Aeschylus and why his plays are written the way they are.
Greek Tragedy: A Literary Study, by H. D. F. Kitto (reprinted 2002). A classic discussion of the meaning of Greek tragic plays, by a specialist.
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