The Image of Suicide in the Dramas of Sophocles and Euripides and Its Interpretation in the Light of Ancient Greek Historical and Philosophical Reflection.

Abstract

The aim of this article is to reconstruct the depiction and assessment of suicide in the works of Sophocles and Euripides. This will, in turn, allow for an understanding of the attitudes of these authors and of ancient Greeks towards the phenomenon of suicide. The analysis will focus on various aspects of how suicide is portrayed, such as: its etiology, underlying motives, consequences for the suicidal individual, reactions of other characters, methods of self-inflicted death, and the reasons for abandoning suicidal intent in cases where the act was not carried out.