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Euripides’ Phœnissæ. Important Names Iocasta Creon Polynices Eteocles Antigone Teiresias Menœceus Date: ca. 409 B.C. Recent commentary by Donald J. Mastronarde. Probably part of a trilogy. The titles of the other plays are disputed.
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Important Names Iocasta Creon Polynices Eteocles Antigone Teiresias Menœceus Date: ca. 409 B.C. Recent commentary by Donald J. Mastronarde Probably part of a trilogy. The titles of the other plays are disputed. There are almost certainly later interpolations. The precise lines interpolated are disputed. Phœnissæ
Plot Summary • I. Prologue by Iocasta (1-87) • A. History of Cadmus’ line (1-9) • B. Her name (10-13) • C. The tragedy of the house so far (14-80) • 1. The birth of Œdipus (13-31) • 2. The murder of Laïus (31-44) • 3. The riddle of the sphinx and Œdipus’ resulting marriage and children (45-58) • 4. Œdipus’ downfall (59-69) • 5. Eteocles and Polynices (70-80) • D. The truce (81-87)
Plot Summary (cont.) • II. Dialogue between Antigone and the pedagogue (Teichoscopia) (88-201) • A. Pedagogue’s opening speech (88-102) • B. The “Seven Against Thebes” (103-181) • 1. Hippomedon (119-131) • 2. Tydeus (132-144) • 3. Parthenopæus (145-155) • 4. Polynices and Adrastus (156-171) • 5. Amphiaraus (171-177) • 6. Capaneus (178-191) • C. Pedagogue’s closing speech (192-201)
Plot Summary (cont.) • III. Parodos (202-260) • A. Self-description (202-236) • B. The impending battle (237-260) • IV. Dialogue between Iocasta, Polynices, and Eteocles (261-636) • A. Dialogue between Polynices and the chorus (261-301) • B. Dialogue between Polynices and Iocaste (302-442)
Plot Summary (cont.) • 1. Iocaste’s speech (302-353) • a. Her joy (302-316) • b. Her grief (317-325) • c. Œdipus’ grief (326-335) • d. Polynices’ marriage (336-349) • e. Conclusion (350-353) • 2. Polynices’ speech (357-378) • a. His love of Thebes (357-370) • b. He asks about his family (371-378) • 3. Dialogue (379-442) • a. Polynices’ wandering (379-407) • b. His alliance to Adrastus and Tydeus (408-425) • c. The attack against Thebes (426-442)
Plot Summary (cont.) • C. Dialogue between all three (443-636) • 1. Iocasta opens the debate (452-468) • 2. Polynices’ argument (469-496) • 3. Eteocles’ argument (499-525) • 4. Iocasta tries again (528-585) • 5. Stichomythia (588-636)
Phœnissæ Plot Summary (cont.) • 1. Iocaste’s speech (302-353) • a. Her joy (302-316) • b. Her grief (317-325) • c. Œdipus’ grief (326-335) • d. Polynices’ marriage (336-349) • e. Conclusion (350-353) • 2. Polynices’ speech (357-378) • a. His love of Thebes (357-370) • b. He asks about his family (371-378) • 3. Dialogue (379-442) • a. Polynices’ wandering (379-407)
Phœnissæ Plot Summary (cont.) • b. His alliance to Adrastus and Tydeus (408-425) • c. The attack against Thebes (426-442) • C. Dialogue between all three (443-636) • 1. Iocasta opens the debate (452-468) • 2. Polynices’ argument (469-496) • 3. Eteocles’ argument (499-525) • 4. Iocasta tries again (528-585) • 5. Stichomythia (588-636)
Phœnissæ Plot Summary (cont.) • V. First Stasimon (638-689) • A. Strophe: Cadmus, Dionysius (638-656) • B. Antistrophe: the dragon; the Sparti (657-675) • C. Epode: appeal to Epaphus (676-689) • VI. Dialogue between Eteocles and Creon (690-783) • A. C enters (691-696) • B. Introductory material (697-705) • C. War is imminent (706-719) • D. They discuss strategy (720-756)
Phœnissæ Plot Summary (cont.) • E. E’s three requests (757-783) • 1. Marry Hæmon to Antigone (757-762) • 2. Consult Teiresias (766-773) • 3. Forbid Polyneices’ burial (774-777) • VII. Second Stasimon (784-833) • A. Strophe: Ares (present) (784-800) • B. Antistrophe: Cithæron (past) (801-817) • C. Epode: Gæa (distant past) (818-833)
Phœnissæ Plot Summary (cont.) • VIII. Dialogue between Creon and Teiresias (834-976) • A. T led in by his daughter and Menœcius (834-848) • B. C’s question (849-864) • C. T delays (865-910 • 1. On Œdipus (865-877) • 2. On Eteocles, Polynices, and Thebes (878-884) • 3. T reluctant to reveal the cure (885-895) • 4. C forces him to speak (896-910) • D. Menœcius must die (911-918)
Phœnissæ Plot Summary (cont.) • E. C refuses (919-928) • F. T explains the reason (929-959) • G. C chooses his son over his city (962-969) • IX. Menœcius’ self-sacrifice (970-1018) • A. Creon urges M to flee (970-976) • B. M agrees until C leaves (977-990) • C. M will kill himself to save Thebes (991-1018) • X. Third Stasimon (1019-1066) • A. Strophe: the Sphinx (1019-1042)
Phœnissæ Plot Summary (cont.) • B. Antistrophe: the house of Cadmus (1043-1066) • XI. Messenger speech (1067-1283) • A. Eteocles’ attendant (1212) summons Iocaste (1067-1076) • B. E and P are still alive; M is dead (1077-1092) • C. The seven part 2; cf. 103-181 (1093-1140) • D. Battle description (1175-1199) • E. Reluctant messenger tells of the arrangement for single combat between the brothers (1200-1258)
Phœnissæ Plot Summary (cont.) • F. He urges Iocaste to go to the battle and stop them (1259-1263) • G. Iocaste and Antigone go (1264-1283) • XII. Fourth Stasimon: a dirge (1283-1305) • XIII. Messenger speech (1307-1479) • A. Creon mourns Menœcius (1307-1331) • B. Messenger: the brothers are dead (1331-1346) • C. Messenger: Iocaste is dead (1347-1353) • D. Messenger speech part 1: the death of the brothers (1354-1426)
Phœnissæ Plot Summary (cont.) • E. Messenger speech part 2: the death of Iocaste and the Theban victory (1427-1479) • XIV. Kommos (1480-1581) • A. Antigone mourns (1485-1538) • B. Œdipus learns what has happened (1539-1581) • XV. Dialogue between Creon, Antigone, and Œdipus (1582-1766) • C. Œdipus exiled by Creon (1584-1594) • D. Œdipus mourns (1595-1624) • E. Creon forbids Polynices’ burial (1625-1634)
Phœnissæ Plot Summary (cont.) • F. Antigone argues with Creon (1639-1692) • 1. She will bury Polynices (1639-1672) • 2. She will not marry Hæmon (1673-1677) • 3. She will go with Œdipus (1678-1692) • G. Œdipus tells of his fated end (1703-1709) • H. Œdipus and Antigone depart, mourning (1710-1763) • I. Choral coda (1763-1766)