Children in Greek Tragedy - Pathos and Potential

The pathos created by threats to children is a notable feature of Greek tragedy, but is this pathos the limit of these child characters' significance? This volume proposes a new paradigm for the study of children in tragedy that recasts them as theatrically complex creations and emphasizes their dangerous potential as the future adults of myth.

List of contents

• 1: Contexts


• 1.1: Introduction


• 1.1.1: Revisiting Aristotle


• 1.1.2: Uncertainty Principles


• 1.2: Definitions


• 1.2.1: Terminology


• 1.2.2: Age Categories


• 1.3: The Scholarly Tradition


• 1.3.1: Pathetic Stereotypes


• 1.4: The 'Universal' or 'Natural' Child


• 1.5: Framing Pathos and Pity


• 1.6: Embodiment


• 2: Staging Issues


• 2.1: The Basic Problem


• 2.2: Re-Assessing the Evidence


• 2.3: Basic Blocking Arrangements


• 2.3.1: Sophokles' Aias


• 2.3.2: Sophokles' Oidipous Tyrannos


• 2.3.3: Euripides' Andromakhe


• 2.3.4: Euripides' Hekabe


• 2.3.5: Euripides' Herakleidai


• 2.3.6: Euripides' Herakles


• 2.3.7: Euripides' Medeia


• 2.3.8: Euripides' Hiketides


• 2.3.9: Euripides' Troades


• 2.3.10: Euripides' Alkestis


• 2.4: The Manner of Movement


• 2.5: Embodied Identity


• 2.6: Children as (Masked) Participants


• 2.7: Dolls and Objects


• 2.8: Singing and Speaking


• 2.9: Language


• 2.10: Speech in Alkestis


• 2.11: Naming and Anonymity


• 2.11.1: Named Figures


• 2.11.2: Anonymous Figures


• 3: Potential


• 3.1: The Next Steps


• 3.2: Temporal Palimpsests


• 3.3: Socio-Historical Potential


• 3.4: Theatrical Potential


• 3.5: Philosophical Potential


• 3.6: Imagery


• 3.7: Character, Quantum Physics, and Ghosts


• 4: Reframing Pathos


• 4.1: An Integrated Approach


• 4.2: Formulating Pathos


• 4.3: Children and Emotion


• 4.4: Biologically Determined Responses of Protection


• 4.5: The Construction of Pity


• 4.6: Merit and Suffering


• 4.7: Identification: Parents and Philia


• 4.8: Pity and Philia


• 4.9: Supplication


• 4.10: Pity and the Law


• 4.11: Pathos and Potential Combined


• 5: Plays and Playwrights


• 5.1: Exploring the Ideas


• 5.2: Aiskhylos


• 5.3: Sophokles


• 5.4: Euripides


• 6: Conclusions and Future Directions


• 6.1: The Value of Potential


• 6.2: Adolescence


• 6.3: Politics


• 6.4: Old Age and Gender


• 6.5: Children in Greek Literature


• 6.6: Comedy, Satyr Play, and Ritual


• 6.7: Final Thoughts


• Appendix: Being an Orphan


• Endmatter


• Bibliography


• Index

About the author

Emma M. Griffiths received her MA from Oxford and her PhD from the University of Bristol. She is a lecturer in Greek at the University of Manchester, where her research interests focus on ancient Greek drama and childhood.

Summary

The pathos created by threats to children is a notable feature of Greek tragedy, but is this pathos the limit of these child characters' significance? This volume proposes a new paradigm for the study of children in tragedy that recasts them as theatrically complex creations and emphasizes their dangerous potential as the future adults of myth.

Additional text

This is a brave book with novel perspectives...the book deserves a home in specialist libraries.

Product details

• Authors: Emma M. Griffiths, Emma M. (Lecturer in Classics Griffiths
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 20.02.2020
• EAN: 9780198826071
• ISBN: 978-0-19-882607-1
• No. of pages: 338
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > Linguistics and literary studies > Classical linguistics / literary studies; HISTORY / Ancient / General, LITERARY CRITICISM / Drama, LITERARY CRITICISM / Ancient & Classical, PERFORMING ARTS / Theater / General, Theatre Studies, Literary studies: classical, early & medieval, Ancient History, Ancient history: to c 500 CE, Literary studies: plays & playwrights, Ancient (Classical) Greek, Literary studies: ancient, classical and medieval, Literary studies: plays and playwrights