The Context of Athenian Tragedy

In this lecture, Professor John Bowers explores the historical and cultural background of the genre of tragedy, which emerged in fifth-century Athens as a form of civic and religious performance. He discusses how the tragedies of Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides reflected and challenged the values and issues of their society, such as democracy, war, justice, and gender. He also examines how the theatre of Dionysus, where the tragedies were staged, was a unique and contested space that involved the participation of the Athenian citizens as spectators, judges, and performers.

This lecture is part of the course “The Western Literary Canon in Context” by The Teaching Company. The course covers 36 works of literature from the ancient to the modern era, and examines their historical, cultural, and literary significance.