- Oct 2024
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www.gutenberg.org www.gutenberg.org
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XERXES. Yea, and my royal robe I rent, in terror at their fall!
Gender Politics -
Here we see that Atossa's dream has come true when the words "my royal robe I rent" are repeated in the poem. This is completing the circle that the author has drawn by using Atossa as a narrative device. She was not listened to in time and her prophecy came true.
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Such is the lesson, ah, too late! to eager Xerxes taught— Trusting random counsellors and hare-brained men of nought, Who said Darius mighty wealth and fame to us did bring, But thou art nought, a blunted spear, a palace-keeping king! Unto those sorry counsellors a ready ear he lent, And led away to Hellas’ shore his fated armament.
Nation and Identity -
This is another instance of the author smearing the Persian king and his choices. Although it could be argued that Aeschylus is trying to explain the conditions of the Persians losing the battle, the tone of the stanza is more insulting towards the king. It is possible that these two perspectives could be explained by the translators decisions.
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Shriek out your sorrow’s wistful wail! To their untimely doom they went; Ill strove they, and to no avail, And minished is their armament!
Nation and Identity -
This line is interesting to me because the meaning of 'minished' is most likely meant to meant that the Persians used up their weapons supply, but I wonder if it cannot also mean that they have diminished the pride or the honour of their weapons by 'ill striving'/going in folly to fight the Greeks. If this is the case, this would be another instance of the author snubbing the Persians.
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Alack, how vainly have they striven! Our myriad hordes with shaft and bow Went from the Eastland, to lay low Hellas, beloved of Heaven! MESSENGER. Piled with men dead, yea, miserably slain, Is every beach, each reef of Salamis!
Nation and Identity -
In this description of the battle, which heavily favours the athenians, speaks the the author's personal bias. The 'chorus' calls the Persians vain and the messenger says that they were 'miserably' slain. In this context I believe 'miserably' is intended to mean 'with great force/no chance of winning'
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A dream I had: two women nobly clad Came to my sight, one robed in Persian dress, The other vested in the Dorian garb, And both right stately and more tall by far Than women of to-day, and beautiful Beyond disparagement, and sisters sprung Both of one race, but, by their natal lot, One born in Hellas, one in Eastern land. These, as it seemed unto my watching eyes, Roused each the other to a mutual feud: The which my son perceiving set himself To check and soothe their struggle, and anon Yoked them and set the collars on their necks; And one, the Ionian, proud in this array, Paced in high quietude, and lent her mouth, Obedient, to the guidance of the rein. But restively the other strove, and broke The fittings of the car, and plunged away With mouth un-bitted: o’er the broken yoke My son was hurled, and lo! Darius stood In lamentation o’er his fallen child. Him Xerxes saw, and rent his robe in grief.
Nation and Identity / Gender Politics -
In this part of the stanza, the author writes that two sisters, one representing Greece and one representing Persia, are feuding. Xerxes tries to tame these women and the Greek sister is tamed, but the Persian sister betrays Xerxes and causes his downfall.
This connects to identity by using sisters as a metaphor for the Greeks and Persians. This posits that the people/citizens of each empire are the same, but by virtue of their birth are forced into having irreconcilable differences.
This connects to gender by casting women into the seer/oracle role. Women are elevated into something mystical and slightly powerful. Yet they are still not worth listening to, as shown by how Xerxes tries to chain them instead taking another, less violent course of action to help them.
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Therefore a dread unspeakable within me never slumbers, Saying, Honour not the gauds of wealth if men have ceased to grow, Nor deem that men, apart from wealth, can find their strength in numbers— We shudder for our light and king, though we have gold enow!
Nation and Identity/ Gender Politics -
This line seems to reinforce the suggestion that if the Persian royalty do not maintain their wealth and status their rule will not last long.
This line also places Atossa into one of the most classic roles for women in Greek mythology and story telling: the seer or oracle. Because women are often forgotten in society, using a woman in this role suggests that the advice or prophecy of these women will be forgotten too. It also adds another layer to the play: because we know that this prophecy will be ignored, it makes the events of the play seem even more bittersweet and tragic.
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To godlike sire, and godlike son, we bow us and are loyal— Unless, on us, an adverse tide of destiny has rolled!
Nation and Identity -
This line implies that the Persians are loyal to the royal blood because they believe it to be holy and blessed, but it also implies that once the blessing of the royal bloodline are gone, the loyalty of the Persian people will will be gone as well.
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his captains are strong at the need! And dark is the glare of his eyes, as eyes of a serpent blood-fed, And with manifold troops in his train and with manifold ships hath he sped— Yea, sped with his Syrian cars: he leads on the lords of the bow To meet with the men of the West, the spear-armed force of the foe! Can any make head and resist him, when he comes with the roll of a wave? No barrier nor phalanx of might, no chief, be he ever so brave! For stern is the onset of Persia, and gallant her children in fight.
Nation and Identity-
Here the author uses adjectives to describe the Persian king, calling his eyes "serpent blood fed" and enforcing the notion that the Persian king is 'other'. The author also says that the Persian king is the blood of Danae, who is the mother of Persus in Greek mythology. This contributes to the fear of the king, placing him above the Greeks and making him a divine threat.
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The flower and pride of our array; And all the Eastland, from whose breast Came forth her bravest and her best, Craves longingly with boding dread— Parents for sons, and brides new-wed For absent lords, and, day by day, Shudder with dread at their delay! Ere now they have passed o’er the sea, the manifold host of the king— They have gone forth to sack and to burn; ashore on the Westland they spring!
Politics of Nation and Identity -
In this, the author seems to be attempting to humanise the Persians - reminding the reader that the Persians have families, women and men and friends that are waiting for them. Yet in the next stanza, the author doesn't want the reader (or watcher I suppose) to gain too much empathy and reminds the reader that the Persians are burning Greece.
worldlit-lit211-SS2024
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