Tragic dramas written in Greece during the fifth century B.C. engender considerable scholarly debate over the relative influence of individual autonomy and the power of the gods on the drama’s action. One early scholar, B. Snell, argues that Aeschylus, for example, develops in his tragedies a concept of the autonomy of the is proof of the emergence within ancient Greek civilization of the individual as a free agent.”
To A. Rivier, Snell’s emphasis on the decision made by the protagonist, with its implicit notions of autonomy and responsibility, misrepresents the role of the superhuman forces at work, forces that give the dramas their truly tragic dimension. These forces are not only external to the protagonist; they are also experienced by not so much “choose” between two possibilities as “recognize” that there is only one real option.
A. Lesky, in his discussion of Aeschylus’ play Agamemnon, disputes both views. Agamemnon, ruler of Argos, must decide whether to brutally sacrifice his own daughter. A message from the deity Artemis has told him that only the sacrifice will bring a wind to blow his ships to an important battle. Agamemnon is Lesky’s view, tragic action is bound by the constant tension between a self and superhuman forces.
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