The Politics Of Youth In Greek Tragedy Gangs Of Athens Matthew Shipton by Matthew Shipton 9781474295079, 9781474295109, 147429507X, 147429510X instant download after payment.

Euripides’ Bacchae was first performed in 405 BCE, on the eve of Athens’ defeat in the Peloponnesian War. This explosive and heart-rending dramatization of an ancient myth uses the character of a young king to explore how destructive aspects of youth can contribute towards the collapse of a society. Shipton’s bold new interpretations of tragedy offer innovative analyses of the dynamic between politics and youth in this form of ancient drama. By exploring how tragedy responded to the fluctuating attitudes to young people at a highly turbulent time in the history of Athens, Shipton sheds new light on ancient attitudes to youth. Focusing on famous plays, such as Antigone and Bacchae, alongside lesser known tragedies such as Heraclidae and Orestes, compelling evidence is presented to show that the complex and often paradoxical views we hold about youth today can also be found in the ancient society of classical Athens. Shipton argues that the prominence of young people in tragedy throughout the fifth century reflects the persistent uncertainty as to what should be their role in society. As the success of Athens rose and then fell, young characters were repeatedly used by tragic playwrights as a way to explore political tensions and social upheaval in the city. Throughout, Shipton reflects on how negative conceptualisations of youth, often expressed via the socially constructed ‘gang’ are formed as a way in which the paradoxical views on youth can be contained.