Euripides’ Cyclops Funny Tragedy?!
Dec 20, 2015
Euripides’ Cyclops
Funny Tragedy?!
2euripides cyclops
Agenda
• Discussion: Satyr Drama is…• Funny Tragedy?
• Introduction to Genre, Play• Funny Tragedy?
• Satyr Drama in Performance• Jessica Addolorato, Matt Martello, Hanna Powell,
Jacob Winiecki, David Tinajero(Cyclops, pp. 536-539)
8-nov-2011
Discussion: Satyr Drama is…
Funny Tragedy?
4euripides cyclops
Discussion: Cycl. = Funny Tragedy?
• funny? y tragic? not sure…• od (hamartia? blinding
cyclops) got away with it, close escapes
• comedy with (….) “tragic relief”
• the un-realistic, non-human element challenges pity and fear
• funny more than sad• take out funny elements,
becomes sadder
8-nov-2011
Introduction to Genre, Play
Funny Tragedy?
6euripides cyclops
Satyr Drama: Origins, ElementsOrigins
• Cultic dimension• Chronology
Elements
• Stories, themes• Characters
• (Pappo)silenus• Satyr chorus
• Chorus Leader• Mythic players
• Tragic structure• Tone
• sexual, scatological, paratragic
• Topicality?
8-nov-2011
“Pronomos Vase”late 400s BCE Athenian
(Naples Museum)
Dionysus and AriadneQueen-character
Himeros (= Eros) Heracles (Pappo)silenos
Pronomos (piper)Charinus (kithara player) King-character
Satyr choreuts (chorus members)
Cyclops: Production, MythProduction
• Composed• post 411
• Produced ca. 408
Myth, Characters
• Myth• Dionysus and the pirates• Odyssey
• Characters• Silenus• Satyr Chorus
• “Leader”• Polyphemus-Cyclops
Dionysus and the Pirates
• Prologue (Signet pp. 516 ff.)• Silenus (backstory)
• Parodos (518)• Episode 1 (520)
• Odysseus’ arrival
• Stasimon 1 (531)• Polyphemus’ bestial
impiety
• Episode 2 (532)• Cyclopean cannibalism• Odyssean plotting
• Stasimon 2 (536)• Imagistic epode: blinding
as “wedding”
• Episode 3 (537)• Odysseus tricks Cyclops
• Stasimon 3 (541)• Excited anticipation
• Exodos (542)• Offstage blinding• “Nobody” punch line• Oracular business
• fated blinding• the Cyclops’ revenge
Analysis
Satyr Drama in Performance
Jessica Addolorato, Matt Martello, Hanna Powell, Jacob Winiecki, David Tinajero(Cyclops, pp. 536-539)