Euripides: Cyclops: A Satyr Play (Companions to Greek and Roman Tragedy)

In Athens, during the fifth-century BCE, tragedians such as Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides staged three successive tragedies at the yearly festival in honor of the god Dionysus, and after each trilogy, they presented a fourth performance, a satyr play. With their ribald chorus of ithyphallic, half-man / half-horse creatures, satyr plays were a peculiar part of the Athenian theatrical experience. Euripides: Cyclops is the first book-length study of this fascinating genre’s only complete, extant production, a theatrical version of Odysseus encounter with the one-eyed Homeric monster Polyphemus. Shaw begins with a history of the genre, following its development from early sixth-century religious processions through the Classical period up to the Hellenistic era. He examines the Cyclops’ mythological background (book nine of Homer’s Odyssey), and the date and text of Euripides’ satyr play. He also offers a comprehensive analysis of the play’s plot and performance, using ancient literary fragments and visual evidence to determine the original viewing experience. Although the Cyclops treats many of the same themes as Homer’s Odyssey, Shaw shows that Euripides updates the archaic epic for the fifth-century Athenian stage, adapting Homer’s plot to fit current religious, philosophical, and historical contexts. A detailed examination of the play’s literary history also reveals that Euripides uses various comedic techniques to establish the Cyclops as a sophisticated and nuanced vehicle for literary criticism. With its ribald chorus of ithyphallic, half-man / half-horse creatures, satyr drama was a peculiar part of the Athenian theatrical experience. Performed three times each year after a trilogy of tragedies, it was an integral part of the 5th- and 4th-century City Dionysia, a large festival in honour of the god Dionysus. Euripides: Cyclops is the first book-length study of this fascinating genre's only complete, extant play, a theatrical version of Odysseus' encounter with the monster Polyphemus. Shaw begins with a look at the history of the genre, following its development from early 6th-century religious processions up to the Hellenistic era. He then offers a comprehensive analysis of the Cyclops' plot and performance, using the text (alongside ancient literary fragments and visual evidence) to determine the original viewing experience: the stage, masks, costumes, actions and emotions. A detailed examination of the text reveals that Euripides associates and distinguishes his version of the story from previous iterations of the myth, especially book nine of Homer's Odyssey. Euripides handles many of the same themes as his predecessors, but he updates the Cyclops for the Athenian stage, adapting his work to reflect and comment upon contemporary religious, philosophical and literary-musical trends. Cover 1 Half-title 3 Title 5 Copyright 6 Contents 9 List of Figures 10 Preface 12 Notes for the Reader 14 List of Abbreviations 15 1. The Cyclops and Satyr Drama 17 2. Viewing the Play: Plot and Performance 45 3. Themes, Issues, and Functions 81 4. Euripides' Cyclops in Its Literary Context 103 Notes 135 Bibliography 159 Index 171 Literary Criticism,Ancient & Classical,Drama,Literary Collections

With its ribald chorus of ithyphallic, half-man / half-horse creatures, satyr drama was a peculiar part of the Athenian theatrical experience. Performed three times each year after a trilogy of tragedies, it was an integral part of the 5th- and 4th-century City Dionysia, a large festival in honour of the god Dionysus. Euripides: Cyclops is the first book-length study of this fascinating genre's only complete, extant play, a theatrical version of Odysseus' encounter with the monster Polyphemus. Shaw begins with a look at the history of the genre, following its development from early 6th-century religious processions up to the Hellenistic era. He then offers a comprehensive analysis of the Cyclops' plot and performance, using the text (alongside ancient literary fragments and visual evidence) to determine the original viewing experience: the stage, masks, costumes, actions and emotions. A detailed examination of the text reveals that Euripides associates and distinguishes his version of the story from previous iterations of the myth, especially book nine of Homer's Odyssey. Euripides handles many of the same themes as his predecessors, but he updates the Cyclops for the Athenian stage, adapting his work to reflect and comment upon contemporary religious, philosophical and literary-musical trends.