1 / 16

Peitho on Trial: Aeschylus’ Oresteia

Peitho on Trial: Aeschylus’ Oresteia. Part 2: Libation Bearers. Attic red-figure vase painting: Orestes slays Aegisthus. Ca. 480 BCE; Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna 3725. Attributed to the Berlin Painter. Agenda. Critical Thinking Evaluating, Developing Arguments Recap and Update

dyllis
Download Presentation

Peitho on Trial: Aeschylus’ Oresteia

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Peithoon Trial: Aeschylus’ Oresteia Part 2: Libation Bearers Attic red-figure vase painting: Orestes slays Aegisthus. Ca. 480 BCE; Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna 3725. Attributed to the Berlin Painter.

  2. Agenda • Critical Thinking • Evaluating, Developing Arguments • Recap and Update • Persuasion/Coercion • Debate • To Slay or Not to Slay Aeschylus Libation Bearers

  3. Critical Thinking Evaluating, Developing Arguments

  4. Critical Thinking Identify, analyze Develop Well-supported arguments well-documented well-reasoned Responses to arguments • Substance of arguments • Elements of arguments • premises • conclusions • logic • Validity of arguments Aeschylus Libation Bearers

  5. Nazi Space Buddha • Meteoritic rock • Swastika on belly • Found in Tibet • Aryans Tibetan! Aeschylus Libation Bearers

  6. Critical Thinking • Writing Page • http://bingweb.binghamton.edu/~clas381a/writing_issues.htm • Major Papers page — assessment • http://bingweb.binghamton.edu/~clas381a/major_papers.htm#assessment

  7. Recap and Update Persuade, Coerce

  8. Oresteia: Background The plays. . . The politics. . . 508/7 Cleisthenic reforms 490-479 Persian Wars 463-461 Ephialtes’ ascendancy at Athens 461-429 Pericles’ ascendency at Athens 458 Oresteia produced • Playwright • Aeschylus (525/4-456 BCE) • Plays (458 BCE) • Agamemnon • Libation Bearers • Eumenides • Menelaus (lost) Podlecki, Anthony J. The Political Background of Aeschylean Tragedy. Ann Arbor, 1966. Print. Agamemnon

  9. Oresteia: Larger Movements From. . . To. . . patriarchy democracy order (eunomia) Athens peitho • matriarchy • tyranny • strife (stasis) • Argos • peitho Aeschylus Libation Bearers

  10. Clytemnestra’s Speech-Act (p. 139) AGAMEMNON Victory in this . . . war of ours, it means so much to you? CLYTEMNESTRA “O give way (pithou, “obey”)! The power is yours if you surrender, / all of your own free will, to me”

  11. Libation Bearers: Analysis • Prologue 177 f. Orestes • Chorus entry 178 ff. • mourning, libations, Clytemnestra’s dream, justice? • Dialogue, chorus 180 ff. • Recognition, reunion • Choral lamentation 192 ff. • mourning, invocation, Clytemnestra’s dream, plan • Chorus 204 f. • Clyt’s crime, nature/myth parallels • Dialogue, 206 ff. • deception • Chorus 212 f. • prayers for justice • Dialogue, 213 ff. • killing, agōn, killing • Chorus 219 f. • victory song • Finale 221 ff. • victory, madness, Furies

  12. Peitho = bia? Conjuration scene: Choral role: Orestes to Chorus “. . . hold your tongues, . . . or speak when it will help.” (203) Chorus “. . . when can the vigor of our voices (stōmatōniskhus, “strength of mouths”) serve Orestes?” (208) “Down to the pit Persuasion goes with all her cunning (peitho dolian).” (209) Electra “Zeus, crush their skulls! Kill! Kill! / Now give the land some faith (pista). . .” (195) Orestes “Does our taunting wake you, oh my father?” (199)

  13. Debate To Slay or Not to Slay

  14. Summary of Arguments anti-kill pro-kill ag: god told me to orestes more valuable child?? clyt an illegit ruler murder and adultery double wammy not worth getting the morality • history of violence argument • sacrifice orestes as well • clyt behaves as mother • i.e., she’s human?? • the real culprit is dead • “over-kill” • kill you mom is impious • why??? Aeschylus Libation Bearers

  15. Eumenides: Peitho on Trial Journal entries PRO, CONTRA: Orestes’ trial Conducted appropriately Concluded constructively Yes? No? Why / why not? Aeschylus Libation Bearers

More Related