In ordinary life an Athenian woman was allowed no accomplishments
beyond leading a quiet and exemplary existence as wife and mother.
Her glory was to have no glory. In Greek tragedy, however, women
die violently and, through violence, master their own fate. It is a
genre that delights in blurring the formal frontier between
masculine and feminine. Through the subtlety of her reading of
these powerful and ambiguous texts, Nicole Loraux elicits an array
of insights into Greek attitudes toward death, sexuality, and
gender.
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Review This Product
Sun, 9 Sep 2012 | Review
by: Judy Croome | @judy_croome
A scholarly work that explores the gender differences underlying the killing of characters in Greek tragedies. Men die in heroic battle, or are murdered. Women, with a few notable exceptions, either commit suicide or are sacrificed for the greater good of family or nation.
In an ancient world where women had little or no control over their destinies, Loraux highlights how Greek tragedy twists the ordinary gender roles and expectations of those times.
In her readings of these classical texts, with their powerful women who change their own fates (especially when depicted by the iconoclastic Euripides!), Loraux brings interesting insights to the Athenian cultural attitudes to methods of dying for women (and men), as well as attitudes towards gender and sexuality.
This is a scholarly text, which requires concentration and some knowledge of the Greek Classical plays to enhance your reading. But it's also an excellent addition to anyone's reference library.
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