Atossa Flashcards
Loving mother
-deeply concerned for the personal wellbeing of her son
“torn by anxious thoughts” “my uneasy mind”
- she dreams about Xerxes and his loss against Greece & sees the bird omen “who is not dead?”
- she is a loving mother even though she acknowledges his faults “my bold son”
-only she can calm her son when he returns from war
“speak to him words of kindness; for your voice, I know, alone will claim and calm him”
-never personally speaks to Xerxes but we gather that she is a good mum
-stunned @ news of Persian defeat but not as dramatic as chorus
“then the light of hope shines forth” -> believes all will be well since Xerxes still lives
becomes concerned with X’s torn clothes: A mocking Persians & love of status & luxury
Respected
Deeply respected by chorus
“fall prostrate, Persians”
“noblest of women”
“Hail, our queen”
slightly arrogant but A is sympathetic towards her
Lack of knowledge
- surprising how little she knows about Greece and Athens (Athenian audience will be shocked by this)
- > perhaps deliberate by A to show how wrapped up in luxury she is
shocked that Greece won (“is Athens not ravaged after all?”) because she is too overconfident in Persian abilities
Love for Persia
“evil news”
she cares for her country and for the loss of men (or is it just loss of Xerxes’ status?)
Blame
Blames the gods continuously for Persian loss, not her son and his rash decisions
->overconfident Persian painted by Greek
“o what malign power so deceived our Persian hopes”
-> blaming gods not very Greek and pious of her (but perhaps just human nature after hearing traumatic news)
BUT then proceeds to invoke Gods for Darius
Barbarian
resorts to necromancy in order to get help (v extreme & dramatic)
Women: v strange and foreign for the Athenian audience as women not involved in the political spectrum at all
->barbarian character due to v important political position
Exotic outfit (although when she enters for second time she is much more humble)
Loving
has a deep love with Darius and was his “royal partner of my bed”
-> good connection
she admired Darius
“blest in your life”
“and envied now in death”
Atossa and Xerxes relationship
on stage
although they never share the stage, Atossa stresses her dependence on Xerxes through her langauge
- first scene with chorus she is fearful
- when messenegr enters she is so panickd she decides to summon her dead husband
Wisdom and perception
in scene with Darius she makes thoughtful comments on wealth and fortune and on misguided influences of Persian court
- aware of the power of the gods and importance of correct religious observance
Chorus and Atossa
Chorus looks to Atossa to take control of situation, seemingly nothing Atossa is involved with comes to fruition
Chorus gather at altar to ask their questions, but Atossa interputs their discussions
Queen later intends to make a sacrafice but is interupted by entrance of Messenger
