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
Presentato: 26 Novembre 2025 | Accettato: 07 Gennaio 2026 | Pubblicato 27 Febbraio 2026 | Lingua: it
Keywords Aeschylus • Cognitive Psychology • Attic Tragedy • Oresteia • Emotions onstage
Copyright © 2026 Maria Arpaia. This is an open-access work distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction is permitted, provided that the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. The license allows for commercial use. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.