Date of Award
2020
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelors
Department
Social Sciences
Second Department
Humanities
First Advisor
Shaw, Carl
Area of Concentration
Classics and History
Abstract
This thesis examines the role of ghosts in the works of two Ancient Greek authors, Homer and Aeschylus. I argue that these ghosts are not simple plot devices intended to shock the audience, but are integrated characters whose desires, actions, and words reinforce major themes in the works in which they appear. Homer—whose Iliad and Odyssey were compiled around the eighth century BCE—uses ghosts to show the importance of the home and family in the epics. Although Homeric ghosts are political figures, they only speak about personal relationships, never political ones. Aeschylus, on the other hand, uses ghosts in Persians, Eumenides, and Proteus to show the importance of the city and democracy in his plays. His ghosts make clear the dangers of tying family and government together. My study suggests that ghosts not only reinforce important themes in Homeric epic and Aeschylean drama, but also reflect the historical transition from the household-based society of archaic Greece to the city-based society of classical Athens. In this way, representations of ghosts serve as both a literary device and a distinct product of the author’s socio-political context.
Recommended Citation
Freeman, Margie, "THE POLITICAL AND CULTURAL IMPLICATIONS OF THE ANCIENT GREEK GHOST" (2020). Theses & ETDs. 5871.
https://digitalcommons.ncf.edu/theses_etds/5871