Classical Studies 2200 Lecture Notes - Lecture 15: Oenomaus, Hellenic Navy, Aegisthus

• School: Western University
• Department: Classical Studies
• Course: Classical Studies 2200
• Professor: Aara Suksi

Document Summary

Plays were written by athenians for an audience of athenians and visitors. The birth of greek tragedy happened at the same time as the establishment of democracy in late 6th century bce. The plots of tragedies tend to problematize aristocratic values but the magic plots are based on stories from mythic, epic past, which uphold aristocratic values. Tragedy often explores tensions between loyalty to the larger community (polis) and loyalty to the family (oikos) The audience of athenian tragedy know, from the odyssey and others, the story of. In the athenian tragedy, familiar myths are enacted on the stage the interest lay in how the playwright chose to interpret the story, or nd a new meaning to it. Some changes could be introduced, but the basic plot was set. This contributes to a set of inevitable fate. It also offers rick potential for irony because the audience has information that the characters do not have.