1.

Record Nr.

UNINA9910367625403321

Autore

Foley Helene P. <1942->

Titolo

Ritual Irony : Poetry and Sacrifice in Euripides / / Helene P. Foley

Pubbl/distr/stampa

Ithaca, N.Y. : , : Cornell University Press, , 1985

©1985

ISBN

1-5017-4063-6

Descrizione fisica

1 online resource (285 p. )

Disciplina

882/.01

Soggetti

Tragedy

Irony in literature

Ritual in literature

Sacrifice in literature

Mythology, Greek, in literature

Didactic drama, Greek - History and criticism

Electronic books.

Lingua di pubblicazione

Inglese

Formato

Materiale a stampa

Livello bibliografico

Monografia

Note generali

Includes index.

Nota di bibliografia

Bibliography: p. 259-273.

Nota di contenuto

Frontmatter -- Contents -- Preface -- Abbreviations -- I. Drama and Sacrifice -- 2 . The Iphigenia in Aulis -- 3 . The Phoenissae -- 4. The Heracles -- 5 . The Bacchae -- Bibliography -- Index

Sommario/riassunto

Ritual Irony is a critical study of four problematic later plays of Euripides: the Iphigenia in Aulis, the Phoenissae, the Heracles, and the Bacchae.Examining Euripides' representation of sacrificial ritual against the background of late fifth-century Athens, Helene P. Foley shows that each of these plays confronts directly the difficulty of making an archaic poetic tradition relevant to a democratic society. She explores the important mediating role played by choral poetry and ritual in the plays, asserting that Euripides' sacrificial metaphors and ritual performances link an anachronistic mythic ideal with a world dominated by "chance" or an incomprehensible divinity. Foley utilizes the ideas and methodology of contemporary literary theory and symbolic anthropology, addressing issues central to the emerging dialogue between the two fields. Her conclusions have important



implications for the study of Greek tragedy as a whole and for our understanding of Euripides' tragic irony, his conception of religion, and the role of his choral odes.Assuming no specialized knowledge, Ritual Irony is aimed at all readers of Euripidean tragedy. It will prove particularly valuable to students and scholars of classics, comparative literature, and symbolic anthropology.