Week 4

Preparation for Mon. Feb. 27

1. Read Euripides’ Electra (the whole play). As you read the play, consider the following two questions:

2. Euripides’ play is quite different from those of the other two playwrights. What interests does Euripides’ play seem to have that are absent from the others?

4. How would you characterize Electra and Orestes in Euripides’ play? In what ways are they different from their namesakes in Aeschylus’ and Sophocles’ versions?

5. OPTIONAL: A hot topic of debate is which of Sophocles’ or Euripides’ Electra came first. Does either of them seem to logically presuppose the other? This is a tricky question, so don’t feel bad if you can’t answer it. Extra credit for anyone who submits a cogent written case for the priority of one over the other.

Preparation for Wed. Mar. 1

1. Read Sophocles’ Philoctetes, including the facing notes (start with the Background to the Story on p. v). As you do, consider the following questions (you may want to look ahead to Friday’s questions too).

2. Sophocles was particularly interested in prophecy and oracles. As you read the play, pay particular attention to what we are told about the prophecy at different points. Can you spot any inconsistencies? Can you explain why these inconsistencies may be important in terms of the plot?

3. Think back to the tapestry scene in Aeschylus’ Agamemnon and our discussion of the trampling as a significant action. Identify a hallmark action of Sophocles’ Philoctetes and think about what it may signify.

Preparation for Fri. Mar. 3

*1. The Trojan expedition is now but a distant memory. Modern science has developed antidotes to snake bites. Few believe that a bow will win a war. But today you are the director of a theater company, explaining why you believe Philoctetes is still relevant to the human experience. What do you say? What issues does the play raise that touch our lives today? Develop one or two ideas in greater depth rather than spreading your ideas too thin.

2. Why does the play devote so much attention to the bow? What are its symbolic significances?

3. In what sense is the deus ex machina intervention at the end of the play appropriate?