Greek Tragedy: Aeschylus' Oresteia
I. Tragedy - key elements
tyche, moira; the question of Job; katharsis, pity and fear; hubris; catastrophe; not "tragic" ending but resolution; connection with Dionysus: chorus, ec-stacy, Dionysiac Festival
II. The setting
A. audience; liturgy
B. the theater building: orchestra, skene; deus ex machina
III. Aeschylus (525-456 B.C.)
IV. The Agamemnon (and the next two plays); written 458 B.C.
A. domestic themes; characters, hubris
B. universal themes - the curse on the House of Atreus
C. historical and political themes
V. Staging and symbolism: Agamemnon, Clytemnestra, and the carpet scene (905ff.)
VI. Dominant images and themes
A. Helen and Troy (685ff.: helenaus, helandros, helepolis; 1156, 1485ff.; Troy: 335ff., 515ff., 545ff.)
B. Iphigenia's sacrifice (200ff., 864ff., 14442ff., 1580ff.)
C. Persuasion (385ff., carpet scene)
D. Irony and tragic irony (225, 846, 513, 595ff., 1045); cf. male vs. female (352ff., 1425)
E. Pollution and healing; entanglement and nets
Please bring Oresteia texts agains to class next time.