Classical Mythology in English Literature - A Critical Anthology

Bringing together a large range of English versions of three classical myths, this text allows students to explore the ways in which they have been reinterpreted and reinvented by writers throughout history. Beginning with an introduction to the principle Greco-Roman gods and heroes, the anthology then focuses on three stories: Orpheus, the great musician and his quest to free his wife Eurydice from death; Venus and Adonis, the love goddess and the beautiful youth she loved; and Pygmalion, the master sculptor who fell in love with his creation. Each section begins with the classical sources and ends with contemporary versions, showing how each myth has been used/abused or appropriated since its origins. Authors featured include: Ovid, Virgil, Gower, Spenser, Shakespeare, Bacon, Milton, Rousseau, Wordsworth, William Morris, Elizabeth Barret Browning, Eliot, Auden, Angela Carter, Margaret Atwood and Seamus Heaney.