Greek Tragedy

[Amylian]

Unfortunately, I have only read Sophocles' The Three Theban Plays. I have to admitt, it is really good stuff and from that class that I have become in Greeks Literature and Mythology.

[kelby_lake]

yeah ill have to check out Anouil and tell my Lit. Professor about it. It sounds interesting..but is it like the same story or does it deal with events in the Nazi invasion?let me know thanks

It's great- the stage directions say that you can set in anywhere at anytime.

[Drkshadow03]

I've only read Aeschylus' Oresteia. Does Oedipus Rex count?

Nessgavin - I think there are very legitimate arguments for both sides, though I think the answer that first jumps to mind is that Aeschylus meant for us to sympathize with Agamemnon. But the presence of Eumenides obviously argues for sympathy for Clytemnestra too.

Why do you feel, Wilde Woman, that the Eumenides creates sympathy for Cytemnestra?

Unfortunately, I have only read Sophocles' The Three Theban Plays. I have to admitt, it is really good stuff and from that class that I have become in Greeks Literature and Mythology.

Amylian, you should definitely check out the other Greek Tragedies if you get the chance. Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripedes are all extremely different writers; to oversimplify, Aeschylus is the most poetical of the three, Sophocles has the strongest plots, Euripedes has the most interesting and complex characters.

[Wilde woman]

Why do you feel, Wilde Woman, that the Eumenides creates sympathy for Cytemnestra?

Well the Eumenides persecute Orestes specifically because he killed his mother, which is striking considering they did not torment Clytemnestra for killing her husband. This gives the impression that somehow matricide is a more serious offense to the gods than is murdering one's spouse (the whole crime-against-your-blood vs. crime against your spouse, who has no blood relation to you). Of course, the Eumenides are swayed by Apollo's argument at the end and change their mind. But the very fact that Orestes spends an entire act fleeing from the Eumenides and trying to justify his actions shows that he feels guilty. And no matter how you paint it, killing your mother is a horrific act. Personally, I feel like readers are bound to feel bad for Clytemnestra on some visceral level, though they may not actually sympathize with her.

Also, there's the whole Iphigenia backstory. I don't remember for sure if it's mentioned in the Oresteia, but anyone familiar with the origins of the Trojan War would know that Clytemnestra was (justifiably) upset over the sacrifice of her daughter.

Maybe I'm reading too much into it with a modern mindset. It's hard for me to accept Athena's judgment in the last act, because quite frankly I don't buy the father-is-more-important-than-the-mother argument. Admittedly it has to be read and understood within its cultural timeframe, but either way, I still think a case could be made for Clytemnestra.

[bluevictim]

Amylian, you should definitely check out the other Greek Tragedies if you get the chance. Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripedes are all extremely different writers; to oversimplify, Aeschylus is the most poetical of the three, Sophocles has the strongest plots, Euripedes has the most interesting and complex characters.

I agree that the Greek tragedies besides Sophocles' Theban plays are all worth reading (and of course the Theban plays are, as well). There doesn't seem to be a lot of interest in the them here at LitNet itself, but a couple of members here have shared their thoughts on their blogs. Drksahdow03's blog has some nice entries on them (here's one on Aeschylus' Oresteia). J.D.'s blog also has some interesting entries on the tragedies (here is the one on the Oresteia).

Personally, I feel like readers are bound to feel bad for Clytemnestra on some visceral level, though they may not actually sympathize with her.

I agree that there is some sympathy for Clytemnestra, especially at the climax of Choephori, when she is confronted by Orestes just before he kills her. I don't think Aeschylus was interested in making simple villains. She is Orestes mother, after all, and she seems to be mixed up in the web of the curse on the house of Atreus which she had no part in creating.

[dfloyd]

Many don't even like them when they grow up. But those that do and continue reading them or see their plays performed will have a piece of culture to call their own.

[Equality72521]

We just spent an entire class of lecture over greek tragedies the other day in theatre. It was a blast. I love the greek tragedies and my theatre instructor is one of the best narrators I have ever heard. That is why I love theatre teachers, because they are so animated. But I enjoy the greek tragedies, they're well.....tragic....but really good....In my opinion

[Sindhu]

hi guys
I am badly searching for novels on greek literature which includes trojan wars... achileus, hector etc.... u guys seems to hav read that.. pls send me the link...
thanku

I can give you the names of quite a few novels, but I don't think any of them are likely to be avilable online- My personal favourite would be Christa Wolf's German novel Kassandra English translation Cassandra. Marion Zimmer Bradley's The Firebrand is also really interesting. Daughter of Troy by Sarah B. Franklin too is worth trying out. And since I had been teaching course of Historical Fiction in Children's Literature, I can also reccomend the young Adult novels Troy by Adele Geras, Inside the Walls of Troy: A Novel of the Women Who Lived the Trojan War by Clemence McLaren and The Luck of Troy by Roger Lancelyn Green. Hope these help.

[kasie]

yeah ill have to check out Anouil and tell my Lit. Professor about it. It sounds interesting..but is it like the same story or does it deal with events in the Nazi invasion?let me know thanks

I can see that this post was made way back when, but someone has answered it recently so this may be of interest: Rolf Hochhuth wrote a short story called The Berlin Antigone, translated into English by Robert David Macdonald in the 60s. I don't know if it is still in print, I read it in a magazine and it impressed me so much I tore it out of the magazine and kept it. It's powerful stuff and because it moves the story untouched in essence into a 'modern' setting (Germany under Nazi rule), the Pity and Terror of the tragedy remain intact and are shown to be not a thing of the past but still relevant and intensely moving.