Isabell Wagener

Who am I? on the interdependence of visual, literary and performative representations of the personifications of Old comedy

The aim of the thesis is to establish and elaborate onto the interdependence of theatrical performances and the visual arts of 5th and 4th century Athens by focusing on personifications as rather easily identifiable persons. The theatre is in the following considered to provide a resonant environment where the spectators, the actors and the choregos share a mutual understanding of fiction while at the same time re-evaluating their own standing in the theatrical play. In this environment, personifications are on stage introduced as divine characters, which results in recoding their meaning. On the other hand, the visual arts explore their own way of representing and re-evaluating, therefore recoding as well, these personifications by changing the context or iconography of the personifications. The thesis shows that both personifications in theatrical performances and visual arts stem from a certain atmosphere, an ambiance that is shaped through the political, historical and social situation of the time. Closely scrutinized are three major (Nemesis, Eirene and Ploutos) and four minor (Basileia, Nephelai, Opora and Theoria) personifications. By analyzing and tracing their development, their differing aspects and meanings are merged together with their varying contexts. The correlation of dramatic plays with its multifaceted implications along with the depictions and their context allows to develop a profound understanding why and how certain personifications arose and got embedded into the Greek religion.