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Atreus’ Transgressive Revenge in Greek Tragedy

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Presentation on theme: "Atreus’ Transgressive Revenge in Greek Tragedy"— Presentation transcript:

1 Atreus’ Transgressive Revenge in Greek Tragedy
Beyond Justice Atreus’ Transgressive Revenge in Greek Tragedy

2 We will cover… An outline of Atreus’ myth in Greek tragedy
Revenge Reality/ Fantasy Atreus / “Other” avengers Revenge/ Justice

3 Atreus’ Myth 1

4 Atreus’ Myth 2

5 Fragment Warning! Sophocles’ Thyestes plays= 10 fragments
Not assigned to each play but “the plays” Euripides’ Thyestes = 9 fragments Not assigned to a speaker Reconstructed & analyzed in context of Sophocles’ & Euripides’ plays

6 Aërope’s Adultery Euripides’ Cretan Women c. 438 BC
Euripides’ Thyestes c. 425 BC Sophocles’ Ajax Sophocles’ Thyestes’ Adultery c. 410 BC Aristophanes’ Frogs 405 BC

7 The Audiences in Athens Atreus in the Heroic Age
Reality/ Fantasy The Audiences in Athens Atreus in the Heroic Age Legal infrastructure in place Law court for adultery Public shaming of male lover Fining of male lover If caught in the husband’s house death may be waived as justifiable homicide Resolution Tension between honour and citizenship King= law No apparent legal infrastructure Exile of Thyestes (male lover) Thyestes’ false return Male lover not killed, but tainted and tortured Irresolution Tension between honour and passion

8 Defining Revenge Dikē= justice Poinē = recompense Timōros = honour

9 Atreus/ “Other” Avengers
Procne & Philomela Sophocles’ Tereus Medea & an avenging Fury Euripides’ Medea

10 Atreus/ “Other” Avengers
Procne Medea Atreus Motivation: Husband’s betrayal and her subsequent loss of status. Passion. Deliberation: Monologue delivered before the chorus. Aftermath: Procne, Philomela and Tereus transform into birds. Medea flees on a dragon chariot. Threat to royal lineage through the illegitimate children and loss of the Golden Fleece. Wife’s betrayal? Family curse? Dialogue with an interlocutor. Monologue? Pollution and continued cycle of revenge for subsequent 2 generations.

11 Revenge/Justice Revenge Justice
Perpetuates ancestral guilt/ legacy of violence Secures lineage Asserts power= ego Asserts power= deterrent Feast = personal desire to pollute Punishes Thyestes- BUT King’s justice= irresolution King =Law

12

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