I dunno wot's happened to the original of this but its sequel has appeared
before it so I'm re-posting it, hoping to avoid confusion.
----- Original Message -----
From: "david.bircumshaw" <[log in to unmask]>
To: "Poetryetc provides a venue for a dialogue relating to poetry and
poetics" <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, February 25, 2002 10:21 AM
Subject: Re: Re: Hoaxes and Heteronymity interview
>but I think it is somewhat euphemistic to say
>the Oresteia endorses misogyny
Yes, Alison, I agree, I was trying to be diplomatic, possibly not my forte!
The play certainly does focus on patriarchal legitimacy, but what I meant is
that I don't think it picks up on the male fear of who's son is that? Is it
mine?
Cassandra's portrayal is interesting, I wouldn't quite agree that
Agamemnon's enslavement and (one assumes) rape of her goes quite without
comment. I get the impression that Cassandra is (aptly) shown as 'seeing'
the whole horror, and that, as ever, her voice goes unheard. I'm very aware
that I might be reading things into the text that aren't there, but it would
be consistent with the play's inconsistencies for it to be so.
Best
Dave
David Bircumshaw
Leicester, England
Home Page
A Chide's Alphabet
Painting Without Numbers
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/david.bircumshaw/index.htm
----- Original Message -----
From: "Alison Croggon" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, February 25, 2002 9:59 AM
Subject: Re: Hoaxes and Heteronymity interview
>At 9:03 AM +0000 25/2/02, david.bircumshaw wrote:
>I don't think the Oresteia actually covers that ground, Chris!
If the ground you mean is the question of patriachal legitimacy, it
does indeed cover that ground - the whole bloody story of the House
of Atreus (in all its various versions) is a fable about claims to
such legitimacy. Why otherwise are Helen's "theft" by Paris or
Clytemnestra's infidelity such a cause of angst? Agamemnon's
possession of Cassandra goes without comment, for example. And
Aegisthus can be argued to be a legitimate claimant to the throne,
given what Agamemnon's father did to his fathers and brothers... etc.
And the metaphorical extension to questions of copyright not merely
fanciful, I think. The whole play is riddled with contradictions and
bizarre intricacies - but I think it is somewhat euphemistic to say
the Oresteia endorses misogyny!
Best
A
--
Alison Croggon
Home page
http://www.users.bigpond.com/acroggon/
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