Female Acts in Greek Tragedy

Nonfiction, Entertainment, Drama, Greek & Roman, Fiction & Literature, Literary Theory & Criticism, Ancient & Classical
Cover of the book Female Acts in Greek Tragedy by Helene P. Foley, Princeton University Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Helene P. Foley ISBN: 9781400824731
Publisher: Princeton University Press Publication: January 10, 2009
Imprint: Princeton University Press Language: English
Author: Helene P. Foley
ISBN: 9781400824731
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Publication: January 10, 2009
Imprint: Princeton University Press
Language: English

Although Classical Athenian ideology did not permit women to exercise legal, economic, and social autonomy, the tragedies of Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides often represent them as influential social and moral forces in their own right. Scholars have struggled to explain this seeming contradiction. Helene Foley shows how Greek tragedy uses gender relations to explore specific issues in the development of the social, political, and intellectual life in the polis. She investigates three central and problematic areas in which tragic heroines act independently of men: death ritual and lamentation, marriage, and the making of significant ethical choices. Her anthropological approach, together with her literary analysis, allows for an unusually rich context in which to understand gender relations in ancient Greece.

This book examines, for example, the tragic response to legislation regulating family life that may have begun as early as the sixth century. It also draws upon contemporary studies of virtue ethics and upon feminist reconsiderations of the Western ethical tradition. Foley maintains that by viewing public issues through the lens of the family, tragedy asks whether public and private morality can operate on the same terms. Moreover, the plays use women to represent significant moral alternatives. Tragedy thus exploits, reinforces, and questions cultural clichés about women and gender in a fashion that resonates with contemporary Athenian social and political issues.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Although Classical Athenian ideology did not permit women to exercise legal, economic, and social autonomy, the tragedies of Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides often represent them as influential social and moral forces in their own right. Scholars have struggled to explain this seeming contradiction. Helene Foley shows how Greek tragedy uses gender relations to explore specific issues in the development of the social, political, and intellectual life in the polis. She investigates three central and problematic areas in which tragic heroines act independently of men: death ritual and lamentation, marriage, and the making of significant ethical choices. Her anthropological approach, together with her literary analysis, allows for an unusually rich context in which to understand gender relations in ancient Greece.

This book examines, for example, the tragic response to legislation regulating family life that may have begun as early as the sixth century. It also draws upon contemporary studies of virtue ethics and upon feminist reconsiderations of the Western ethical tradition. Foley maintains that by viewing public issues through the lens of the family, tragedy asks whether public and private morality can operate on the same terms. Moreover, the plays use women to represent significant moral alternatives. Tragedy thus exploits, reinforces, and questions cultural clichés about women and gender in a fashion that resonates with contemporary Athenian social and political issues.

More books from Princeton University Press

Cover of the book Karl Pearson by Helene P. Foley
Cover of the book Carnations by Helene P. Foley
Cover of the book Ever the Leader by Helene P. Foley
Cover of the book Britain's Day-flying Moths by Helene P. Foley
Cover of the book Powerplay by Helene P. Foley
Cover of the book Soft News Goes to War by Helene P. Foley
Cover of the book The Meaning of Relativity by Helene P. Foley
Cover of the book Guaranteed to Fail by Helene P. Foley
Cover of the book No Man's Land by Helene P. Foley
Cover of the book Muslim Nationalism and the New Turks by Helene P. Foley
Cover of the book The Genome Factor by Helene P. Foley
Cover of the book Egypt after Mubarak by Helene P. Foley
Cover of the book The Global Commonwealth of Citizens by Helene P. Foley
Cover of the book Reluctant Accomplice by Helene P. Foley
Cover of the book The Visioneers by Helene P. Foley
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy