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)