Ἡ δὲ ὄψις ψυχαγωγικόν (Arist. Poet. 1450b 16) : dimensione visuale ed estetica nella drammaturgia dei Persiani di Eschilo

Ἡ δὲ ὄψις ψυχαγωγικόν (Arist. Poet. 1450b 16). Visual and Aesthetic Dimension in the Dramaturgy of Aeschylus’ Persians · The analysis of the occurrences of ὄψις in Poetics confirms Aristotle’s negative judgment on tragedies that focus more on the visual dimension than on the plot (mythos) or characters (ethe). On the other hand, Aristotle underlines the great psychagogical efect of ὄψις, and the involvement of the spectators, prodromal to catharsis. By interwaving the examples mentioned in the Poetics in relation to the “fourth type of tragedy” (the ‘ὄψις type’), Aristotle recognises Aeschylus as the playwright who invests most in the visual dimension. The notations contained in the Vita Aeschyli (a text that is probably related to the Aristotelian school) confirm that the investment in spectacle is known as a typical trait of Aeschylean dramaturgy. Given this theoretical framework, Aeschylus’s writings are subjected to testing in relation to the hypothesis: whether the predominant role of ὄψις can be verified, and if it can be a useful reading key for Aeschylean dramaturgy. From the analysis of the text of Persians, important traces of Aeschylus’ commitment in the visual dimension emerge, particularly on the impact effect when the main characters enter the scene, on the scenographic elements, on the costumes of the actors. Regarding the scenography, in particular, grounding on the examination of the sources and the critical bibliography, various hypotheses are proposed and discussed: the presence on stage of the Persian skene, the trophy of war of Platea, used as the first theatrical scene; the presence in the orchestra of an architectural element built on the model of Ciro’s stepped tomb, from which the Phantom of Darius appears. In addition to these elements, the spectators of "Persians" probably could see the timber of the Persian ships destroyed in Salamis battle used as a material for the theatrical structure. The vision, starting from the glance when the spectators sit in the theater, must have been the first motive for aesthetic emotion. So, the visual dimension is presented as the engine of the psychagogic involvement of the audience: the show envelops the spectators and therefore contains and “embraces within itself ” all the other elements.