ENGLISH

Marriage to Death: the conflation of wedding and funeral rituals in Greek tragedy

By Rush Rehm

Book information

Publisher
Princeton University Press
Year
1994
ISBN
0691033692, 9780691033693
Language
english
Format
PDF
Filesize
85 MB (89406766 bytes)
Pages
264\132
Time added
2017-11-21 11:14:52
Ancient & Classical;Dramas & Plays;Literature & Fi

Description

The link between weddings and death--as found in dramas ranging from Romeo and Juliet to Lorca's Blood Wedding--plays a central role in the action of many Greek tragedies. Female characters such as Kassandra, Antigone, and Helen enact and refer to significant parts of wedding and funeral rites, but often in a twisted fashion. Over time the pressure of dramatic events causes the distinctions between weddings and funerals to disappear. In this book, Rush Rehm considers how and why the conflation of the two ceremonies comes to theatrical life in the tragedies of Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripedes. By focusing on the dramatization of important rituals conducted by women in ancient Athenian society, Rehm offers a new perspective on Greek tragedy and the challenges it posed for its audience.

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