Height of Stupidity & Ignorance Re Greek Drama

[Carrol Cox]

First some background. For over 30 years I taught a course in
ancient Greek literature. Since I knew no Greek and had never
had a course myself in ancient Greek literature, I read an enormous
amount of scholarship on Greek Drama over the years. Much of
it was wrongheaded enough so that even an amateur could see
its silliness. But never, not even in Cliff Notes, have I ever seen
so stupid and ignorant a remark on Greek Drama as the following:

"Perhaps the first explicit formulation of interpassivity was given
by Lacan in his commentary on the role of the Chorus in Greek
tragedy:

    When you go to the theatre in the evening, you are preoccupied

    by the affairs of the day, by the pen that you lost, by the check

    that you will have to sign next day. You shouldn't give yourselves

    too much credit. Your emotions are taken charge of by the healthy

    order displayed on the stage. The Chorus takes care of them. The

    emotional commentary is done for you. . .Therefore you don't

    have to worry; even if you don't feel anything, the Chorus will

    feel in your stead."

This is not the clumsy comment of someone who has read at least
a summary of some Greek tragedy. This is pure fraud. No one
who has ever spent 30 minutes reading either Greek tragedy or
the most naive commentary on it could possibly make a statement
of this sort.

I am really peeved now at those on this list who have urged taking
Lacan seriously. This is worse than Mary Baker Eddy. Any one
who makes such a statement is not to be trusted to quote
accurately from a Dick and Jane reader, let alone comment on
human behavior.

Carrol