Aeschylus' 'Persians': The Representation of Grief

Aeschylus' Persians of 427 BCE is the only surviving part of a lost trilogy and is the only surviving 'historical' Greek tragedy (xxi). In this blog post, I will discuss the representation of grief in Aeschylus' Persians and how Aeschylus has used grief in a differing way to other tragedians.

The presentation of grief in Aeschylus’ Persians is unique in that it unites, for a limited time, the Persians and Greeks. It therefore could be argued that grief symbolizes the recognition that neither the Persians nor the Greeks are the real enemies, but that the war itself is the real enemy.

If we take the opening of Persians as an example:

“my heart is already flayed raw within me, all too prophetic of disaster” (lines 9-10).

The above line is significant for a variety of reasons. For example, it has connotations of suffering and torture due to the phrase "flayed raw", evoking torture such as whipping. By referring to a "heart" it indicates a personal, emotional value and this is further reinforced by using the personal and possessive pronoun "my" to add further emotion. The word "prophetic" is a nod to the gods and the universal understanding of the term 'fate' in Ancient terms.

Later on:

"Furious for war, the ruler of Asia's many peoples drives his prodigious flock against every land...There is a black gleam in his eyes, the stare of a murderous snake" (lines 75-82).

The above quoted line indicates the barbaric nature of Xerxes and this is epitomized by the described expression of being "furious for war". This quoted line further denotes Xerxes as a ruler by representing him as a farmer and his people as a "flock" - his people are forced to do what he says because he is the farmer and therefore there is a lack of control. Moreover, the connotations of "black" suggests evil and combined with the reference to a "snake" it further highlights the maliciousness of Xerxes and his plans.

Finally:

"Oh, our deep pain, our pain!...Ceaselessly, ceaselessly, wholly in sorrow...Oh, I grieve, I grieve! (1055-1067).

The chorus' grief is exemplified by the repetitive lamentation "Oh" at the beginning of this quote and further enforced by the repetition of "pain" to denote their suffering and grief.

Works

Aeschylus. 'Persians'. In Persians and Other Plays. Trans, Christopher Collard. (2008) Oxford World's Classics. Print.