1. Thriller Romp or Sophistic Critique? Euripides’ Ion and Tragic Variations

2. Agenda Discussion Ion as “Happy Tragedy”? Tragedy as Ideal Type Euripides’ Ion Introduction to Play 15-oct-2011 euripides ion 2

3. Discussion Ion as “Happy Tragedy”? Tragedy as Ideal Type

4. Discussion Prompt Distilled… Tragic patterns blood guilt (almost) tragic cycle Cecropids, Erechtheids, etc. reversal recognition pathei mathos?? etc. Plus Happy ending Equals… What? 15-oct-2011 euripides ion 4

5. Discussion still a tragedy sub-group: happy-ending tragedies ending lets Apollo off the hook it’s kind of like politics band-aid the problem (the wire season three) damage control mode instr’s comment: quasi-tragic in terms of… athenian tragic drama as interrogating contemporary society, politics see “ion’s doubts” slide, end of presentation paratragic humor instr’s comment: reversal of some tragic patters dramatic misidentification Xuthus maybe suffering through knowledge? (you don’t WANT to know!) plus knowledge just in time?? (double intervention at end) 15-oct-2011 euripides ion 5

6. Ideal Type Deliberately simplified definition/description. - To help relate recurring phenomena – (What do we learn from comparisons?) - To be applied with attention to nuance - Deliberately simplified definition/description. - To help relate recurring phenomena – (What do we learn from comparisons?) - To be applied with attention to nuance -

7. Euripides’ Ion Introduction to Play

8. Athens Acropolis Physical Setting, Ideological Backdrop Delphi, Apollo’s Temple

9. Analysis Prologue Hermes (backstory, 104) Ion, monody (107) Parodos Chorus of Creusa’s house slaves, Ion (110) Episode 1 Ion, Creusa (113) Creusa, Xuthus (& Ion, 118) Ion’s soliloquy (119) Stasimon 1 Come, Athena! Children. Cave of Pan (120) Episode 2 Ion, Xuthus (happy reunion,121) Stasimon 2 To tell or not to tell (128) Episode 3 Creusa, Old Man (129) Creusa’s lament (astrophic monody, 134) Creusa, Old Man (136) Stasimon 3 Murder, slanders of women (141) Episode 4 Messenger scene (botched murder, 142) Choral Ode Astrophic frenzy (147) Exodos Creusa, Leader (147) Ion, Creusa (148) Pythia, Ion (150) Athena dea ex machina (158)

10. “Ah, what we women endure when the gods go sinning! / Indeed, to whom shall we plead our cause / when our own masters are our ruin?” (Creusa, 113)

11. Apollo Belvedere, Vatican Museums

12. Ion Sophist’s Thwarted Doubts “There cannot be an oracle against the god of oracles” (p. 117) To Apollo: “You have the power, so follow virtue” (p. 119) “Is the god genuine or are his oracles a fraud?” (p. 158) 15-oct-2011 euripides ion 12