Amphitryon

By Molière and A R (Alfred Rayney) Waller

Book Overview

Amphitryon is a French language comedy in a prologue and 3 Acts by Moli?re which is based on the story of the Greek mythological character Amphitryon as told by Plautus in his play from ca. 190-185... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0151001561
• ISBN13: 9780151001569
• Release Date: January 1995
• Publisher: Harcourt
• Length: 146 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.5" x 0.8" x 5.8"

Customer Reviews

Wilbur scores again!

Wilbur faithfully reproduces some of Moliere's more experimental versification in this update of Plautus' Amphitruo, the story of Greek general who is impersonated by the god Jupiter-- so that Jupiter can share a bed with his wife! Moliere, a master of farce, plays this mistaken identity to its comic hilt.Wilbur's translation here is peerless and his Afterword is wonderfully informative. This is not my favorite of his Moliere translations (I like The School for Wives and The Misanthrope) but I'd be hard-pressed to name a fault. Voltaire said of this play, "I laughed so hard that I fell over backwards." I didn't fall over backwards, but I got a good chuckle or two out if it.

Hilarious! Amazing translation

This is an extremely funny, well written ( & translated) play; Wilbur does a terrific job with the English verse, which makes the play read like an original--rather than a translation. Finding a well translated version of non-english written plays can often be difficult (especially with so many translations available), but this one is truly terrific.This was the first play I had read by Moliere, and it wasn't at all what I was expected. It is a very light, easy and hilarious read. I laugh out loud each time I read it.