Classical Studies 2200 Lecture Notes - Lecture 11: Atreus, Hellenic Navy, Bridle

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

Document Summary

Plays written by athenians for audience of athenians and visitors. The birth of greek tragedy roughly simultaneous with establishment of democracy in late 6th century bce. The plots of tragedy tend to problematize aristocratic values. But the tragic plots are based on stories from mythic (epic) past which uphold aristocratic values. Tragedy often explores tensions between loyalty to larger community (polis) and loyalty to the family (oikos) Audience of athenian tragedy knew, from the odyssey and elsewhere, the story of. In athenian tragedy, familiar myths are enacted on the stage. Interest lay in how the playwright chose to interpret the story or find new meaning in it. Some changes could be introduced but basic plot was fixed. This contributes to a sense of inevitable fate. Also offers rich potential for irony, because the audience has information that the characters do not. To win his bride hippodameia, he deceived and killed her father, king oinomaos.