Formes et enjeux de l'expression individuelle du deuil chez Euripide : Entre lamentations et mutilations des corps

Details

Supervisors

Delanaye, Lysiane ; Doyen, Charles

Faculty

Faculté de philosophie, arts et lettres

Degree label

Master [120] en langues et lettres anciennes, orientation classiques, à finalité approfondie

Abstract

enGrief and funeral rites are inherent in all human societies; they are the reflection of human religious beliefs and as well as the expression of the sadness felt after a loved one’s death. These mourning expressions are governed by standards observed by the entire community. In Ancient Greece, people mourn their deaths by physical gestures like self-mutilation and, by oral speeches like laments. This study offers a literary analysis of the mourners’ bodies and voices based on the nineteen plays of Euripides. In this corpus, the individual expression of grief is structured not only by the reproduction of the conventions prevailing during the fifth century, but also by literary references drawn mainly from epic tradition. Furthermore, these customs are associated with figures like women or barbarians, known for their extravagant nature. Other symbols of the “other” can be found in funeral rites, like the nightingale or the old man.