MACMILLAN Locating Classical Receptions on Screen: Masks, Echoes, Shadows (The New Antiquity)

This volume explores film and television sources in problematic conversation with classical antiquity, to better understand the nature of artistic reception and classical reception in particular. Drawing inspiration from well-theorized fields like adaptation studies, comparative literature, and film, the essays in this collection raise questions fundamental to the future of reception studies. The first section, ‘Beyond Fidelity’, deals with idiosyncratic adaptations of ancient sources; the second section, ‘Beyond Influence’, discusses modern works purporting to adapt ancient figures or themes that are less straightforwardly ancient than they may at first appear; while the last section, ‘Beyond Original’, uses films that lack even these murky connections to antiquity to challenge the notion that studying reception requires establishing historical connections between works. As questions of audience, interpretation, and subjectivity are central to most contemporary fields of study, this is a collection that is of interest to a wide variety of readers in the humanities. Review “This book proposes a radically new way to excavate the layers of modern film and television for their underlying connections with the themes and tropes of classical antiquity. Expertly mingling interpretative techniques borrowed from Film Studies, Comparative Literature, and Adaptation Studies, the six dynamic essays in this volume skillfully investigate a range of screen texts – from The Hurt Locker to Game of Thrones – to uncover multiple strata of the deep engagements between contemporary media and the ancient world.” (Monica S. Cyrino, Professor of Classics, University of New Mexico, USA) “ Locating Classical Receptions on Screen invites the reader to embark on an intrepid journey that transcends the traditional boundaries of Classical Reception Studies. This provocative volume challenges the linear and binary engagements with the ancient past that often guide scholarly approaches to modern media. Refreshing methodologies and cross-disciplinary views contribute to building a stimulating collection that proposes a more dynamic and multisided look at cinema and television, and at the viewer’s ‘face to face encounters’ with Classical myths, stories, characters and ideas.” (Marta Garcia Morcillo, Senior Lecturer in Ancient History, University of Roehampton, UK) From the Back Cover This volume explores film and television sources in problematic conversation with classical antiquity, to better understand the nature of artistic reception and classical reception in particular. Drawing inspiration from well-theorized fields like adaptation studies, comparative literature, and film, the essays in this collection raise questions fundamental to the future of reception studies. The first section, ‘Beyond Fidelity’, deals with idiosyncratic adaptations of ancient sources; the second section, ‘Beyond Influence’, discusses modern works purporting to adapt ancient figures or themes that are less straightforwardly ancient than they may at first appear; while the last section, ‘Beyond Original’, uses films that lack even these murky connections to antiquity to challenge the notion that studying reception requires establishing historical connections between works. As questions of audience, interpretation, and subjectivity are central to most contemporary fields of study, this is a collection that is of interest to a wide variety of readers in the humanities. About the Author Ricardo Apostol received his PhD from the University of Michigan, USA, and his research focuses on theory and classical reception studies. He has published articles on Latin and Greek poetry as well as the classics in film and television, and currently teaches at George School. Anastasia Bakogianni is Lecturer in Classical Studies at Massey University, New Zealand, author of Electra Ancient & Modern: Aspects of the Tragic Heroine