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Becoming Female: The Male Body in Greek Tragedy
Katrina Cawthorn
London, UK : Gerald Duckworth, 2008
ISBN: 9780715637128
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Book description
Becoming Female, the first book-length examination of the
body in classical Athenian tragedy, reconsiders the figure of the male
tragic hero, making use of both feminist and body theory. The male
hero becomes female in the space of tragedy through the experience of
suffering, and seems unable to return to any secure expression of
masculinity. Katrina Cawthorn concentrates initially on the figure of
Heracles in Sophocles The Women of Trachis, an exemplary specimen of the
tragic process of becoming female, who exhibits many of the central issues
considered in the book. The male hero is, in the course of the play,
undone and feminised, while the instability of masculine identity is
revealed. This theme of becoming female, and the resulting failure to
circumscribe the feminine and return to any secure and triumphant concept of
masculinity, is argued to be a discernible feature of the genre of tragedy.
The inconclusive and disconcerting nature of tragic endings contribute to
the dislocation of the tragic male and emphasise the Dionysian disturbance
of the male hero. Moreover, this state of the dissolute male hero has
textual and theatrical consequences, extending to affect the audience so
that it too becomes feminised by the processes of tragedy. Becoming
Female is an important work for scholars and students of Classical
Studies, Ancient History, Drama and Theatre Studies, Women's Studies and
Cultural Studies.
About the author
Katrina Cawthorn works at the Centre for Drama and Theatre
Studies, Monash University, Australia.
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