Classics Colloquium with Sheila Murnaghan

Recent work in cognitive literary studies has drawn attention to the question of whether, when, and how consumers of imaginative literature respond differently to fictional scenarios than to real ones.  One significant factor is the degree to which readers and viewers are conscious of the author as the inventor and orchestrator of the events portrayed.  Such awareness may result in a more divided or detached response, but the perceived activity of the author can inspire equally intense emotions as the behavior of fictional characters, including delighted approval, frustration, dismay, or even a sense of betrayal.  This talk will explore emotional engagement with the author as a feature of classical Greek literary culture, starting from two famous scenes of a god’s response to fiction: Athena’s extreme pleasure in Odysseus’ invented tale in Odyssey 13 (288-95) and Dionysus’ longing for Euripides after reading his Andromeda in Aristophanes’ Frogs (66-67).  I will draw primarily on examples involving classical Athenian drama, in which the context of competition fostered a heightened attunement to authorship among spectators, and in which comedy itself frequently thematized the relationship between playwrights and their audiences.