Between approvals and disease, the Ancient Theatre.

 

Just the voters outline in ‘Areopago’ as a setting on a grieving backstage for ‘Eumenidi’ 2021 (Eschilo, 458 a.C.), director Davide Livermore at ‘Teatro Greco’ in Siracusa, Sicily (Italy). Refer.: 0_5528858_125008.jpg

 

“Enjoy, enjoy!!” shrills on final scene of ‘Eumenidi’[1] the voice of Athena, after favouring the absolution of prince Oreste, previously stopped at a balance in the ‘Areopago’, the first Court of Law set up in Athens for homicides.

Oreste the avenger, the young man who murdered his mother, queen Clitemnestra and her lover Egistus which fraudly kept the throne to king Agamemnon, at the end has been discharged by homicide : together his charge has been absolved any anxiety or anguish, which the ‘Erinni’ use to persecute anyone escaping from the sentence, i.e. the not self confessed criminals. Thanks to Oreste, the ‘Erinni’ won’t be any more in the obscurity, then they’ll obtain a social relevance in the newly instituted ‘Areopago’ by Athena : moreover they’ll be named ‘Eumenidi’, the ‘Goodwilling’, as they’ll keep on humans the sacred fear.

“And I, with firm faith to you promise that you’ll have worthy side in this land of justice, and honour from citizens, side by the altar sitting, on shining thrones…” - Athena speaks to precious but not agreable ‘Erinni’ - “Be quiet in your heart the bitter dark fury, and then together myself you’ll participate honours and richness : of this large land will be offered to you every …the early fruits…”

Anxiety then – if really it can be kept ‘quiet’ – can go on diffusing on humans, through its unsuspected goodwilling, and the sacred ‘fear’ will indefinitely prosecute in subdueing.

Oreste made Justice, without really confessing his omicides as he diverted on a god, Apollo : Oreste followed Apollo who seduced him up to avenge father Agamemnon and so honouring him, as he was betrayed by his wife Clitemnestra. There are different murders, the tragedy tells to us, and gods can put grievance into humans and in the same time sweep that away whenever they like.

The meeting ‘Oreste e il diritto’[2], which has been arranged in Siracusa (Sicily) the latest July 31, has also anticipated the last performance of ‘Coefore ed ‘Eumenidi’ at the annual survey of Greek Theatre, offering not similar positions between the lecturers.

So that, at the end, are or not the pluri-homicides effected by Oreste legitimate ?

In Aeschilus work – loyally catched by the smart, ironic direction of Davide Livermore, who already directed ‘Elena’ by Euripides in 2019 - Oreste will stay as the melencholic prince who doesn’t dare to  charge to himself any of his murders – useful imputation instead, from which he could then solute those invisible strings which make him a prisoner. He won’t come into the successful final where the only protagonists will be Athena, god of knowledge and war, and her ‘goodwilling’ shining ambiguous ‘Eumenidi’.

A victory can be sustainable – and how much in this world – on fluid gods, but missing to lead humans. 

The unsuspectable discover of a only human ‘pulsion’ – no more istinctive but exposed to the adverse winds of pathological ‘removal’ – surely and definitely opened to an hypothesis of ‘individual Constitution’[3] which, also in his/her fragility does point to a sustainable defence, real and not ingenuous.

 

                                                    Marina Bilotta Membretti, Cernusco sul Naviglio August 4, 2021

 

[1] ‘Eumenidi’ is the third act  - after ‘Agamemnon’ and ‘Coefore’ - of ‘Orestea’, tragedy by Aeschilus and firstly set up at Athens (ancient Greece) in 458 a.C. : Aeschilus so winned the gold to the celebration of ‘Dionyisum Event’.

[2] To the Congress ‘Oreste e il diritto’, set up by ‘Fondazione I.N.D.A. Istituto Nazionale Dramma Antico’ www.indafondazione.org and ‘Società Amici del pensiero – Sigmund Freud’ www.societaamicidelpensiero.it also participated Eva Cantarella, Law historic; Alessio Lo Giudice, Law phylosopher; Giacomo B. Contri, psychoanalyst and president of ‘Società Amici del pensiero – Sigmund Freud’; Maria Campana, member of ‘Società Amici del Pensiero – Sigmund Freud’ and speaker.

[3] ‘Costituzione individuale’ in www.giacomocontri.it   www.operaomniagiacomocontri.it