Chapter 10: Stage and Law Court in Late fifth-Century Athens
A. Euripides (Athens; ca. 485- ca. 406)
C. Socrates (Athens; 469-399)
B. Aristophanes (Athens; ca. 445- ca. 385)
Aeschylus : 13 wins --> Sophocles: 18 wins --> Euripides: 4 wins; all were tragic writers
Very popular, but he was the least successful at Dionysia
Seen as controversial: shifted peoples opinions, made them have compassion for "villains" , forcing people to reconsider
Dionysus: Bacchae, morally problematic
Rheotoric : Ability to persuade, which was crucial in Athens, as well as Euripides plays
Wrote in old attic
Dionysia started featuring comedies (486), only 11 have survived, 32 lost
24 in comedy chorus; 72 in tragedy
Distinct masks and costumes
Setting: comedy was present, familiar world; tragedy was mythic times
Characters: Comedy was contemporary athenian, mocking them
Plot: Comedy was fantastic; tragedy was realistic
Refusal to treat serious things seriously, sex/ bodily function jokes, vulgar language, erotic passion
Ends with celebration by chorus
Plato, Aristophanes, and Xenophon all wrote about him, but had different pictures of him
Wealthy, had hoplite status, fought in Peloponnesian war
Wife: Xanthippe, three sons
Asked people questions in the markets, and made fools out of well-respected people
Daemon: inner voice, (not negative connotation) restrained him from entering public athenian life
Fundamentally responsible for altering the course of philosophy
Accused with various crimes: Atheism,corruption, executed
Was mistakenly considered a sophist, but he didn't charge a fee for teaching people. Often claimed to know nothing
Used music to enhance emotion
17 tragedies and 1 satyr play
Parodies tragic heroes in rags to appear less heroic, even parodies Euripides
Negative treatment of women, only option for financial independence was prostitution
Didn't write his ideas
Acharnians: mocks Euripides for clothing tragic heroes in rags to make them look better
Talks about sophists, assembly, law courts
Clouds: Socrates as a wealthy educator, who has established institute of higher learning
The Frogs: Dionysus travels to Hades to bring Euripides back from the dead