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The Republic
The Republic
by Plato
One of the key works of world philosophy, Plato's The Republic sets out to consider the principles behind an ideal city state. This is the first audio recording of Plato's great classic in a new translation by the Greek scholar Tom Griffith. No sooner than Bruce Alexander had left the studio having recorded Thomas Hardy, he was back at his Oxfordshire home studying hard for the next Naxos AudioBooks project Plato's The Republic. 'There couldn't have been a greater contrast - the deeply emotional Hardy, and the rationalist character of Socrates,' admitted Bruce Alexander. And both are about as far away possible from the character for which he is probably best known, Superintendent Mullett in the British TV series A Touch of Frost. 'That is what being an actor is all about,' declared Alexander. 'The worst thing for us is when are typecast, which can happen so easily.' Fortunately, this happens less the Audiobook/radio medium than on or film where visual concerns can be paramount.' This recording of The Republic uses the new translation by Tom Griffith, who prepared it for Cambridge University Press. It will be released by CUP in the near future, but is 'previewed' by this abridgement made by the translator himself. 'I started translating because I found that when I was teaching, and read from existing translations, I could see the interest fade from my pupils' eyes, explained Griffith. 'But I know this can capture the imagination and thoughts of young people, and so I started translating passages in language which was as contemporary as the original would have been in the fifth century B. C.' The Republic is one of a number of translations he has now included - among others is Symposium.
One of the key works of world philosophy, Plato's The Republic sets out to consider the principles behind an ideal city state. This is the first audio recording of Plato's great classic in a new translation by the Greek scholar Tom Griffith. No sooner than Bruce Alexander had left the studio having recorded Thomas Hardy, he was back at his Oxfordshire home studying hard for the next Naxos AudioBooks project Plato's The Republic. 'There couldn't have been a greater contrast - the deeply emotional Hardy, and the rationalist character of Socrates,' admitted Bruce Alexander. And both are about as far away possible from the character for which he is probably best known, Superintendent Mullett in the British TV series A Touch of Frost. 'That is what being an actor is all about,' declared Alexander. 'The worst thing for us is when are typecast, which can happen so easily.' Fortunately, this happens less the Audiobook/radio medium than on or film where visual concerns can be paramount.' This recording of The Republic uses the new translation by Tom Griffith, who prepared it for Cambridge University Press. It will be released by CUP in the near future, but is 'previewed' by this abridgement made by the translator himself. 'I started translating because I found that when I was teaching, and read from existing translations, I could see the interest fade from my pupils' eyes, explained Griffith. 'But I know this can capture the imagination and thoughts of young people, and so I started translating passages in language which was as contemporary as the original would have been in the fifth century B. C.' The Republic is one of a number of translations he has now included - among others is Symposium.
Reviews-
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Plato's musings on how society should function, as well as the nature of the people who inhabit society, is read by Bruce Alexander in this abridgment. The recording and Alexander's performance are flawless. A veteran Shakespearean actor, Alexander has a voice that is rich and versatile in portraying each of the speakers in this dialogue. His accent also has an air of authority. He makes one suppose that the ancient Greek philosophers went to Oxford. This work is really delightful to hear as one follows the course of Socrates' arguments and the questions thrown at him by the Athenians. The packaging is sturdy, and the enclosed outline is most helpful. Music at the beginning and end of each side does not distract from the performance. A wonderful introduction to Plato. M.T.F. (c) AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine
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Narrator Leighton Pugh gives all the interlocutors in Plato's most important dialogue their own voices. But only Socrates, who does almost all the talking, comes across as a full person: intelligent, moderate in temper, genial, accommodating to his fellows but someone who commands respect and attention. Pugh also distinguishes the minor characters adequately and switches among them skillfully. THE REPUBLIC deals with justice, politics, and education, among many topics, and includes the famous "Allegory of the Cave." It can be complex, but Pugh's fine voice, natural pacing, and thoughtful expressiveness help keep the meaning clear, and the nineteenth-century translation is both graceful and lucid. Pugh's reading demonstrates that philosophy not only can be comprehensible in audio but also enjoyable. W.M. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
- AudioFile Magazine “The recording and Alexander’s performance are flawless. A veteran Shakespearean actor, Alexander has a voice that is rich and versatile in portraying each of the speakers in this dialogue. His accent also has an air of authority. He makes one suppose that the ancient Greek philosophers went to Oxford. This work is really delightful to hear. The packaging is sturdy, and the enclosed outline is most helpful. Music at the beginning and end of each side does not distract from the performance. A wonderful introduction to Plato.”
- CD Now “This four-CD set is read by Bruce Alexander with more expression than one might expect. The narrative qualities of the work are aided by a fine new translation by Tom Griffith in modern conversational English that enhances the listener's understanding without compromising the meaning.”
