Overview

Hercules is the best-known character from classical mythology. Seneca’s play Hercules Furens presents the hero at a moment of triumph turned to tragedy. Hercules returns from his final labor, his journey to the Underworld, and then slaughters his family in an episode of madness. This play exerted great influence on Shakespeare and other Renaissance tragedians, and also inspired contemporary adaptations in film, TV, and comics. Aimed at undergraduates and non-specialists, this companion introduces the play’s action, historical context and literary tradition, critical reception, adaptation, and performance tradition.

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9781474254922

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Reviews

Bernstein's study will become a go-to resource for understanding the Hercules Furens, its complex relationship to Rome's political, cultural, and literary milieu, and its decisive impact on the dramatic tradition. -- Lauren Donovan Ginsberg, Assistant Professor of Classics, University of Cincinnati, USA Bernstein offers strong and persuasive readings of the Hercules Furens in its various contexts (e.g. philosophical, performance, historical). It will be both useful and enjoyable for students and scholars of Seneca and the theatrical tradition. -- Christopher Trinacty, Assistant Professor of Classics, Oberlin College, USA No Roman playwright before Seneca had dared to tackle the grim tale of Hercules' slaughter of his wife and sons after successfully completing his twelve labours. Bernstein admirably explains why Seneca chose to confront the issues latent in the myth, such as the nature of courage and masculinity, the justification of suicide, the influence of family and ancestry, the moralized landscape. He contextualizes these themes by sourcing them in Seneca's philosophical writings. Bernstein is in full command of all the recent scholarship devoted to the play, and he subjects it to clear and fair-minded assessment. Notable is his convincing interpretation of the opening speech of the goddess Juno as key to the interpretation of the action which unfolds in the drama. Finally, he shows how the trajectory of Seneca's Hercules from `hero to zero' has been adapted in contemporary theatre to highlight the veteran's difficulty in reintegrating into a peacetime community. -- Roland Mayer, Emeritus Professor of Classics, King's College London, UK [Seneca: Hercules Furens] provides concise, but informative and engaging discussions of the themes of the play, stylistic and rhetorical elements, modern critical approaches, historical context, literary and philosophical traditions, and performance ... The audience for whom Bernstein's book is designed will find it an excellent and welcome resource. * Classical Journal *

Bernstein's study will become a go-to resource for understanding the Hercules Furens, its complex relationship to Rome's political, cultural, and literary milieu, and its decisive impact on the dramatic tradition. -- Lauren Donovan Ginsberg, Assistant Professor of Classics, University of Cincinnati, USA Bernstein offers strong and persuasive readings of the Hercules Furens in its various contexts (e.g. philosophical, performance, historical). It will be both useful and enjoyable for students and scholars of Seneca and the theatrical tradition. -- Christopher Trinacty, Assistant Professor of Classics, Oberlin College, USA No Roman playwright before Seneca had dared to tackle the grim tale of Hercules' slaughter of his wife and sons after successfully completing his twelve labours. Bernstein admirably explains why Seneca chose to confront the issues latent in the myth, such as the nature of courage and masculinity, the justification of suicide, the influence of family and ancestry, the moralized landscape. He contextualizes these themes by sourcing them in Seneca's philosophical writings. Bernstein is in full command of all the recent scholarship devoted to the play, and he subjects it to clear and fair-minded assessment. Notable is his convincing interpretation of the opening speech of the goddess Juno as key to the interpretation of the action which unfolds in the drama. Finally, he shows how the trajectory of Seneca's Hercules from 'hero to zero' has been adapted in contemporary theatre to highlight the veteran's difficulty in reintegrating into a peacetime community. -- Roland Mayer, Emeritus Professor of Classics, King's College London, UK

Bernstein's study will become a go-to resource for understanding the Hercules Furens, its complex relationship to Rome's political, cultural, and literary milieu, and its decisive impact on the dramatic tradition. -- Lauren Donovan Ginsberg, Assistant Professor of Classics, University of Cincinnati, USA Bernstein offers strong and persuasive readings of the Hercules Furens in its various contexts (e.g. philosophical, performance, historical). It will be both useful and enjoyable for students and scholars of Seneca and the theatrical tradition. -- Christopher Trinacty, Assistant Professor of Classics, Oberlin College, USA No Roman playwright before Seneca had dared to tackle the grim tale of Hercules' slaughter of his wife and sons after successfully completing his twelve labours. Bernstein admirably explains why Seneca chose to confront the issues latent in the myth, such as the nature of courage and masculinity, the justification of suicide, the influence of family and ancestry, the moralized landscape. He contextualizes these themes by sourcing them in Seneca's philosophical writings. Bernstein is in full command of all the recent scholarship devoted to the play, and he subjects it to clear and fair-minded assessment. Notable is his convincing interpretation of the opening speech of the goddess Juno as key to the interpretation of the action which unfolds in the drama. Finally, he shows how the trajectory of Seneca's Hercules from `hero to zero' has been adapted in contemporary theatre to highlight the veteran's difficulty in reintegrating into a peacetime community. -- Roland Mayer, Emeritus Professor of Classics, King's College London, UK

Author Information

Neil W. Bernstein is Professor of Classics and World Religions, Ohio University, USA. He has written extensively on Roman literature and identity, including In the Image of the Ancestors: Narratives of Kinship in Flavian Epic (2008) and Ethics, Identity, and Community in Later Roman Declamation (2013).

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