For Us the Living: Lamentation in Euripides' Ion

Abstract

The character of Creusa in Euripides' Ion is rarely examined by scholars. Her repetitive narrative, the disturbing themes of infant abandonment and rape, and the abruptness of her forgiveness for Apollo have steered scholarly inquiry toward less problematic characters. Recent interest in women's lament likewise ignores the Ion. Examining the speech of Creusa in the Ion, I first show that Creusa laments. Next, I consider the ways in which her lament forges connections between herself and her audience. Finally, I explore the effect of this reading of Creusa's speech on plot and character. I discover that, viewed through the lens of current thought on the purpose of lament, the character of Creusa displays a discrete arc. Mourning propels her development and allows her to reconcile her unhappy past and the happy future foretold in the prologue.