Lexis Supplements Lexis Studies in Greek and Latin Literature | Lexis Ancient Philosophy |
Lexis Sources, Texts and Commentaries

Series | Lexis Supplements
Edited book | Il mito degli Atridi dal teatro antico all’epoca contemporanea
Chapter | Sguardi novecenteschi sul mito di Oreste

Sguardi novecenteschi sul mito di Oreste

Abstract

This paper examines the reception of Orestes’ myth in twentieth-century Italian literature. The engagement in restaging ancient drama gives rise to a lot of rewritings in prose-fiction, poetry and, mainly, in theatre. Between 1900 and 1930, authors reflect on the myth’s cultural, philosophical, and autobiographical implications. World War II marks a turn in theatrical productions and the representations of Orestes’ family are characterized by a new attention to political events, with a focus on the modern nature of the history of the Atreids’ public power. After 1968, Orestes’ myth continues to attract an enormous range of interpretations. These new contemporary readings offer different solutions: thus, modern thought reveals its deep link to this myth in its richness of ever-present implications.


Open access | Peer reviewed

Submitted: Oct. 13, 2022 | Accepted: Oct. 20, 2022 | Published July 7, 2023 | Language: it

Keywords MythPoetry and theatre20th centuryRewritingsAtreids


read this chapter