What made Athenian democracy so strong and vibrant? Jiang Xueqin explains that theater taught Athenians how to be democratic citizens.
The three major dramatists were Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides.
Aeschylus’ Oresteia offered a mythology of democracy, showing that democracy was a gift from Athena herself, and that by practicing it well Athenians could make the whole world more just, fair, and righteous.
Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex trilogy revealed the dangers and tragedy of a monarchy. In his “hubris,” Oedipus of Thebes believed he could defy the Fates. His successor Creon thought he could defy the “unwritten, immutable, divine” laws of the universe, and condemned Antigone to death.
Euripides’ Bacchae was a critique of the Athenian democracy and empire, especially Pericles’ Funeral Oration. Euripides believed that for a democracy to maintain its strength and vibrancy the citizenry had to confront the hard truths, especially the evils that they commit upon others.
