Euripides was the youngest of the fifth-century Athenian tragedians, and is often described as the most radical. But how daring was he? How far did he push the boundaries of dramatic form? Focusing on Medea and Hippolytus, Emily and Tom discuss the ways Euripides sought to shock his audiences, make them laugh, and explore their anxieties in a time of cultural change.

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Further reading in the LRB:

Robert Cioffi: Euripides Unbound

https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v46/n18/robert-cioffi/euripides-unbound

Anne Carson: Euripides to the Audience

https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v24/n17/anne-carson/euripides-to-the-audience

Emily Wilson is Professor of Classical Studies at the University of Pennsylvania and translator of the 'Odysse'y and the 'Iliad'. Thomas Jones is an editor at the London Review of Books and host of the LRB Podcast.

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