Essere spettatori dell’Orestea
Un’analisi della ricezione emotiva del pubblico
Abstract
Research in cognitive psychology has clarified how theatrical fiction influences audience’s emotions. Playwrights use socially shared affective language and narrative structures to express emotions on stage. The educational function of tragedy is expressed precisely in this emotional balance between the realistic experience of very strong emotions and a reassuring context regulated by ritual customs. The case study of the Oresteia reveals recurring expressive and narrative patterns, that trace emotional curves within and across the entire trilogy. This effectiveness relies on alternating narrative tension, creating emotional peaks and relaxing breaks, that guide the audience’s reactions.
open access | peer reviewed
Submitted: Nov. 26, 2025 | Accepted: Jan. 7, 2026 | Published Feb. 27, 2026 | Language: it
Keywords Aeschylus • Cognitive Psychology • Attic Tragedy • Oresteia • Emotions onstage
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