"We Laughed Ourselves to Tears": Euripides and the Question of Comedy

Abstract

This thesis explores the notion of 'Euripidean Comedy', that is, the presence, form and function of comic elements in Euripidean drama. Chapter One addresses comedy and 'comic elements' in relation to tragedy in general and Euripides in particular, closing with a short introduction to each of the three plays to be discussed in the subsequent chapters. Using Bernd Seidensticker as a sounding-board, Chapter Two outlines the comic elements of the Bacchae, concluding that these ultimately feed into the play's overwhelming tragedy. Chapter Three presents a reading of the Helen as a 'comic' play with an undeniably serious message. The final chapter addresses the comic aspect of the Orestes, arguing that the Orestes is tragic, but in a surprising and unconventional manner. The conclusion of this thesis is that genre-play is a Euripidean constant, and that the application of humour to tragedy is a central element of Euripidean dramaturgy. For the sake of consistency, I have adopted the Anglicised Latin forms of Greek names throughout. For example, 'Menelaus' rather than 'Menelaos', 'Aeschylus' rather than 'Aiskhylos', and so on. The plays of Aristophanes and Euripides are referred to by their English titles. For example, 'Phoenician Women' for 'Phoenissae', 'Frogs for 'Ranae', 'Women at the Thesmophoria' for 'Thesmophoriazousae' and so on. The text used for Euripides is Diggle's OCT. Unless stated otherwise, translations of Euripides are taken from David Kovacs' Loeb series. Abbreviations of periodical titles follow L'Annee Philologique.