Ajax : a study of the impact and reception of the myth of Ajax and Sophocles' Ajax in Western culture
This dissertation focuses on the figure of the mythical Ajax as portrayed in Sophocles' eponymous drama, in particular the suicide motif, and reworkings of that play subsequently, with a particular focus on English-language performance. A primary focus will be psychological, in the broadest sense, which encompasses the depiction of male emotional suffering, male lamentation, the suicidal state and its implications, the aesthetic of performance as related to psychological states, and their reception. After the introductory chapter on reception, Chapter Two will study the pre-Sophoclean elements of the myth in order to assess Sophocles' modifications. Chapter Three will explore contemporary research into psychological states in suicide followed by a close examination of Sophocles' own play, and the manner in which he delineates the crisis that overwhelms his eponymous hero and the dramatic re-workings of the myth that enable him to convincingly portray that iconic suicide. Chapter Four forms a bridge by providing an overview of the reception of the play in later antiquity, including the treatment of the suicide motif in Virgil, the depictions of Ajax in pantomime and the use of the play in progymnasmata, and
Chatterjee, Etta
Ajax : a study of the impact and reception of the myth of Ajax and Sophocles' Ajax in Western culture. This dissertation focuses on the figure of the mythical Ajax as portrayed in Sophocles' eponymous drama, in particular the suicide motif, and reworkings of that play subsequently, with a particular focus on English-language performance. A primary focus will be psychological, in the broadest sense, which encompasses the depiction of male emotional suffering, male lamentation, the suicidal state and its implications, the aesthetic of performance as related to psychological states, and their reception. After the introductory chapter on reception, Chapter Two will study the pre-Sophoclean elements of the myth in order to assess Sophocles' modifications. Chapter Three will explore contemporary research into psychological states in suicide followed by a close examination of Sophocles' own play, and the manner in which he delineates the crisis that overwhelms his eponymous hero and the dramatic re-workings of the myth that enable him to convincingly portray that iconic suicide. Chapter Four forms a bridge by providing an overview of the reception of the play in later antiquity, including the treatment of the suicide motif in Virgil, the depictions of Ajax in pantomime and the use of the play in progymnasmata, and
study impact reception myth sophocles western_culture focus figure mythical portray sophocles drama particular suicide motif play subsequently particular_focus english_language performance primary_focus psychological broad_sense encompass depiction male emotional suffering male state implication aesthetic performance related psychological_state reception introductory reception study pre element myth order_ass sophocles modification explore contemporary psychological_state suicide follow close_examination sophocles play manner delineates crisis overwhelm hero dramatic myth enable convincingly portray iconic suicide form bridge provide_overview reception play later antiquity include treatment suicide motif depiction use play