Do Objects Have Something to Say? Performance, Agency and Ontology of Objects in Greek Tragedy
Can objects speak "in and from themselves," as the proponents of New Materialism argue? Are they vibrant, living things that possess an agency? Professor Noel will examine these questions in the light of ancient Greek tragic plays, which show a real interest in the "life of objects," as some recent scholarship has established. First, these research questions will be framed in the global context of an interdisciplinary inquiry into the lives of non-humans. A close reading of Euripides’ Herakles, focusing on Herakles’ relationships with his weapons will follow. This case study challenges two current new materialist concepts: first, the idea of co-responsibility between man and weapons in the act of killing; second, the idea that objects need to have an ability to speak and act independently to gain a form of life.
