Classical Greek Tragedy offers a comprehensive survey of the
development of classical Greek tragedy combined with close readings of
exemplary texts. Reconstructing how audiences in fifth-century BCE
Athens created meaning from the performance of tragedy at the dramatic
festivals sponsored by the city-state and its wealthiest citizens, it
considers the context of Athenian political and legal structures, gender
ideology, religious beliefs, and other social forces that contributed to
spectators' reception of the drama. In doing so it focuses on the
relationship between performers and watchers, not only Athenian male
citizens, but also women and audiences throughout the ancient
Mediterranean world.
This book traces the historical development of these dynamics through
three representative tragedies that span a 50 year period: Aeschylus'
Seven Against Thebes, Sophocles' Oedipus Tyrannus, and Euripides'
Helen. Topics include the role of the chorus; the tragic hero;
recurring mythical characters and subject matter; Aristotelian
assessments of the components of tragedy; developments in the
architecture of the theater and their impact on the interactions of
characters, and the spaces they occupy. Unifying these discussions is
the observation that the genre articulates a reality beyond the visible
stage action that intersects with the characters' existence in the
present moment and resonates with the audience's religious beliefs and
collective psychology. Human voices within the performance space
articulate powerful forces from an invisible dimension that are
activated by oaths, hymns, curses and prayers, and respond in the form
of oracles and prophecies, forms of discourse which were profoundly
meaningful to those who watched the original productions of tragedy.
