Very early in the play the chief god, Zeus, is spoken of
by a priest of Zeus. As the leader of the gods, Zeus had a hand in events that occurred
on earth and directed human destiny. He was the god of law and social
order.
In the same speech, the priest of Zeus invokes the
goddess Athena. She was the goddess of wisdom and war and was said to be Zeus's favorite
child. Even though a city might have another god as patron, rulers would often seek
wisdom from Athena.
Later, the Chorus calls on Athena's
"earth-protecting sister, Artemis." She was the twin sister of Apollo. Known as the
goddess of the hunt, Artemis also was the protector of women and
children.
Now, consider what is going on in Thebes when the
priest and the chorus talk to and about these gods. Why do you think it is appropriate
for them to consult these gods in particular?
No comments:
Post a Comment