Events

Hibiscus flower. Ref.: 0_5529749_125008.jpg

These 2021 Tokyo Olympic games, recently played with a well satisfying number of medals won by Italy, did point too the said ‘good practices’ by athletes we wondered about their capability to meet challenging trainings, even performed in the well known present limitations which the real need to reduce the spreading pandemic Covid19 infection strictly required to our own human being.

It is just one situation where ‘emotions’ and ‘resiliency’ – so annoying in any bla bla – don’t explain at all what can really move humans.

                                     Marina Bilotta Membretti, Cernusco sul Naviglio August 24, 2021

Between approvals and disease, the Ancient Theatre.

Just the voters outline in ‘Areopago’ as a setting on a grieving backstage for ‘Eumenidi’ 2021 (Eschilo, 458 a.C.), director Davide Livermore at ‘Teatro Greco’ in Siracusa, Sicily (Italy). Refer.: 0_5528858_125008.jpg

“Enjoy, enjoy!!” shrills on final scene of ‘Eumenidi’[1] the voice of Athena, after favouring the absolution of prince Oreste, previously stopped at a balance in the ‘Areopago’, the first Court of Law set up in Athens for homicides.

Oreste the avenger, the young man who murdered his mother, queen Clitemnestra and her lover Egistus which fraudly kept the throne to king Agamemnon, at the end has been discharged by homicide : together his charge has been absolved any anxiety or anguish, which the ‘Erinni’ use to persecute anyone escaping from the sentence, i.e. the not self confessed criminals. Thanks to Oreste, the ‘Erinni’ won’t be any more in the obscurity, then they’ll obtain a social relevance in the newly instituted ‘Areopago’ by Athena : moreover they’ll be named ‘Eumenidi’, the ‘Goodwilling’, as they’ll keep on humans the sacred fear.

“And I, with firm faith to you promise that you’ll have worthy side in this land of justice, and honour from citizens, side by the altar sitting, on shining thrones…” - Athena speaks to precious but not agreable ‘Erinni’ - “Be quiet in your heart the bitter dark fury, and then together myself you’ll participate honours and richness : of this large land will be offered to you every …the early fruits…”

Anxiety then – if really it can be kept ‘quiet’ – can go on diffusing on humans, through its unsuspected goodwilling, and the sacred ‘fear’ will indefinitely prosecute in subdueing.

Oreste made Justice, without really confessing his omicides as he diverted on a god, Apollo : Oreste followed Apollo who seduced him up to avenge father Agamemnon and so honouring him, as he was betrayed by his wife Clitemnestra. There are different murders, the tragedy tells to us, and gods can put grievance into humans and in the same time sweep that away whenever they like.

The meeting ‘Oreste e il diritto’[2], which has been arranged in Siracusa (Sicily) the latest July 31, has also anticipated the last performance of ‘Coefore ed ‘Eumenidi’ at the annual survey of Greek Theatre, offering not similar positions between the lecturers.

So that, at the end, are or not the pluri-homicides effected by Oreste legitimate ?

In Aeschilus work – loyally catched by the smart, ironic direction of Davide Livermore, who already directed ‘Elena’ by Euripides in 2019 - Oreste will stay as the melencholic prince who doesn’t dare to  charge to himself any of his murders – useful imputation instead, from which he could then solute those invisible strings which make him a prisoner. He won’t come into the successful final where the only protagonists will be Athena, god of knowledge and war, and her ‘goodwilling’ shining ambiguous ‘Eumenidi’.

A victory can be sustainable – and how much in this world – on fluid gods, but missing to lead humans. 

The unsuspectable discover of a only human ‘pulsion’ – no more istinctive but exposed to the adverse winds of pathological ‘removal’ – surely and definitely opened to an hypothesis of ‘individual Constitution’[3] which, also in his/her fragility does point to a sustainable defence, real and not ingenuous.

                                                    Marina Bilotta Membretti, Cernusco sul Naviglio August 4, 2021

[1] ‘Eumenidi’ is the third act  - after ‘Agamemnon’ and ‘Coefore’ - of ‘Orestea’, tragedy by Aeschilus and firstly set up at Athens (ancient Greece) in 458 a.C. : Aeschilus so winned the gold to the celebration of ‘Dionyisum Event’.

[2] To the Congress ‘Oreste e il diritto’, set up by ‘Fondazione I.N.D.A. Istituto Nazionale Dramma Antico’ www.indafondazione.org and ‘Società Amici del pensiero – Sigmund Freud’ www.societaamicidelpensiero.it also participated Eva Cantarella, Law historic; Alessio Lo Giudice, Law phylosopher; Giacomo B. Contri, psychoanalyst and president of ‘Società Amici del pensiero – Sigmund Freud’; Maria Campana, member of ‘Società Amici del Pensiero – Sigmund Freud’ and speaker.

[3] ‘Costituzione individuale’ in www.giacomocontri.it   www.operaomniagiacomocontri.it

‘Eumenìdi’ at Greek Theatre of Siracusa (Sicily).

‘Eumenidi’ on ‘Ancient Greek Vocabulary – Italian’, L. Rocci – ‘Società Editrice Dante Alighieri’ (2002), p.798. Picture ref.T : 0_5528418_125008.jpg

The meeting on next July 31[2] would like to propose the anticipation of an exciting work by Aeschilous, first of ancient authors of tragedies[3], who often fighted together with Athens army and then had to experience that specific affect of pain which is anguish. ‘Eumenidi’ does finish, after ‘Agamemnon’ and ‘Coefore‘, the trilogy of ‘Orestea’ performed the first time in Athens, in 458 a.C., winning Aeschilous the first prize in ‘Grandi Dionisie’ Games : it is a not usual item the work where prince Orestes, escaping from Argo without admitting his responsibility in the murder of his mother Clitemnestra – who was already murderer of king Agamemnon, father of Orestes – in order to look for asylum next to temple of god Apollo, who suggested Orestes to revenge Agamemnon. Now the prince is fiercely suffering, notwithstanding the divine Justice is in his favour, his own defence is unuseful because of the fury of voluptuous and monstruous ’Erinyes’, whose istinct pulls to aggress everyone, and also able, on the other hand, to suddenly fall in a deep noising lethargy‘. “Catch him! Catch him!”, they shout, snoring after the escaping prey, and even in front of the annoyed shadow of Clytemnestra. There is an inexplicable anguish in Oreste, or just admitting an external aggression of a monster who doesn’t assault each culprit – the dead Clitemnestra infact didn’t feel any charge notwithstand she murdered Agamemnon – and above all which doesn’t remain just a private item, touching then the whole society, sweeping away any divine forecasting of Justice. But, what about humans if anxiety and anguish will not remain on earth ? The worth of Aeschilous work is undoubtable. In the Law Court Athena founded, as a goddess of knowledge and war, prince Orestes has now to be judged.

Marina Bilotta Membretti, Cernusco sul Naviglio July 25, 2021

[1] It is a number of years that psychoanalist Dr. Giacomo B. Contri writes and speaks about an individual Constitution: www.giacomocontri.it www.operaomniagiacomocontri.it

[2] ‘Oreste e il diritto’ is the title of next appointment organized by Fondazione I.N.D.A. ‘Istituto Nazionale Dramma Antico’ and ‘Società Amici del pensiero Sigmund Freud’ : it will be holded in Ortigia – Siracusa on next July 31, 2021 and the representation of ‘Eumenidi’ will follow at Greek Theatre the same evening’.

[3] Aeschilous (525 a.C. - 456 a.C.) was the first ancient author of tragedies and to him followed Sofocle (496 a.C. - 406 a.C.) and Euripide (485 a.C. - 406 a.C. ).

Dante Alighieri ‘Paradise’.

Original painting by Gianni Russomando. Ref.: 0_5526509_125008.jpg

“… so when, at strain or risk ceasing,

the rows, till then beaten into water,

all the people stop at the whistle of their chief.”

With disarming sobriety, to Dante is offered a well known affection but so often neglected, when even kept silent : as otherwise can we say about satisfaction ? Our Poet realized that affection – here we are in the last Chapters of ‘Comedy’ – but soonest then removed just what it made possible : the sea, then favourable to man, was making their own part offering to eachone an unpredictable surplus, not to be neglected indeed and that the driver was pointing at the end. But Dante Alighieri – who was not at all a sea man – then wants translating that behaviour, he just observed at a distance, and here he was : also if, even in a baby and notwithstanding he or she has be born finally, satisfaction comes surely into memory and without any risk to be forgotten – rather you can get it wherever and whenever – can you deny that ? In his ‘Paradise’ Dante comes to touch the algorithm – prescription perfectly able to be generalized - but not including ‘satisfaction’.

Marina Bilotta Membretti, Cernusco sul Naviglio June 28, 2021