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Thriller Romp or Sophistic Critique?. Euripides’ Ion and Tragic Variations. Agenda. Discussion Ion as “Happy Tragedy”? Tragedy as Ideal Type Euripides’ Ion Introduction to Play. Discussion. Ion as “Happy Tragedy ”? Tragedy as Ideal Type. Discussion Prompt Distilled…. Tragic patterns
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Thriller Romp or Sophistic Critique? Euripides’ Ion and Tragic Variations
Agenda • Discussion • Ionas “Happy Tragedy”? Tragedy as Ideal Type • Euripides’ Ion • Introduction to Play euripides ion
Discussion Ion as “Happy Tragedy”? Tragedy as Ideal Type
Discussion Prompt Distilled… • Tragic patterns • blood guilt (almost) • tragic cycle • Cecropids, Erechtheids, etc. • reversal • recognition • pathei mathos?? • etc. • Plus Happy ending • Equals… What? euripides ion
Discussion • still a tragedy • sub-group: happy-ending tragedies • ending lets Apollo off the hook • it’s kind of like politics • band-aid the problem (the wire season three) • damage control mode • instr’s comment: quasi-tragic in terms of… • athenian tragic drama as interrogating contemporary society, politics • see “ion’s doubts” slide, end of presentation • paratragic • humor • instr’s comment: reversal of some tragic patters • dramatic misidentification • Xuthus • maybe suffering through knowledge? (you don’t WANT to know!) • plus knowledge just in time?? (double intervention at end) euripides ion
Ideal Type Deliberately simplified definition/description. - To help relate recurring phenomena –(What do we learn from comparisons?) - To be applied with attention to nuance -
Euripides’ Ion Introduction to Play
Physical Setting, Ideological Backdrop Athens Acropolis Delphi, Apollo’s Temple
Analysis • Prologue • Hermes (backstory, 104) • Ion, monody (107) • Parodos • Chorus of Creusa’s house slaves, Ion (110) • Episode 1 • Ion, Creusa (113) • Creusa, Xuthus (& Ion, 118) • Ion’s soliloquy (119) • Stasimon 1 • Come, Athena! Children. Cave of Pan (120) • Episode 2 • Ion, Xuthus (happy reunion,121) • Stasimon 2 • To tell or not to tell (128) • Episode 3 • Creusa, Old Man (129) • Creusa’s lament (astrophic monody, 134) • Creusa, Old Man (136) • Stasimon 3 • Murder, slanders of women (141) • Episode 4 • Messenger scene (botched murder, 142) • Choral Ode • Astrophic frenzy (147) • Exodos • Creusa, Leader (147) • Ion, Creusa (148) • Pythia, Ion (150) • Athena dea ex machina (158)
“Ah, what we women endure when the gods go sinning! / Indeed, to whom shall we plead our cause / when our own masters are our ruin?” (Creusa, 113)
Ion Sophist’s Thwarted Doubts “There cannot be an oracle against the god of oracles” (p. 117) To Apollo: “You have the power, so follow virtue” (p. 119) “Is the god genuine or are his oracles a fraud?” (p. 158) euripides ion