As we talked about last week, Castelli explains how master narratives are used to enable and illustrate what the dominant society, or the society telling the narrative, wants people to believe. Castelli explains how collective memory of martyrdom has lead to a Christian understanding of the Roman persecutions, in favor of the Christians during the time period. Her examples explain how stories of the Roman persecutions, which were sporadic and local, became metanarrative for the Christian story and ideologies.
Euripides, Iphigeneia at Aulis, is an example of Castelli’s ideas, to a certain extent. Iphigeneia is told that she has to give herself up to better Greece and that it’s an act for her people. However, it seems from the writings, that it was more selfishness of Agamemnon who wanted to overcome the Trojans. Iphigeneia became convinced she had to die in order to save Greece and writes to her mother about how much she is willing to sacrifice herself. Its seems interesting to me, within the context of master narratives, to consider Iphigeneia own story of self and her thoughts on being martyred.
Epictetus writes about death in a way to make it seem honorable and favored in the afterlife. Not just death itself, but to die for a cause larger than yourself. He uses death as a means to overcome bad deeds in life. That narrative, Christian or otherwise, can be seen amongst martyred people even today. The use of a metanarrative leading people to believe that dying for some kind of greater good will lead to rewards in the afterlife. Epictetus also uses the example of Socrates and that even in death, he remains an important and noble character, and that is actions should be studied “if you wish to be free, if you desire the thing itself in proportion to its value.”
While many of the narratives have complex story lines and characters, Castelli’s use of collective memory can be seen in most of them. Particularly in how certain aspects or actions are counted as exemplarily an considered ideal in society. -Lyndsey Goforth-
Euripides, Iphigeneia at Aulis, is an example of Castelli’s ideas, to a certain extent. Iphigeneia is told that she has to give herself up to better Greece and that it’s an act for her people. However, it seems from the writings, that it was more selfishness of Agamemnon who wanted to overcome the Trojans. Iphigeneia became convinced she had to die in order to save Greece and writes to her mother about how much she is willing to sacrifice herself. Its seems interesting to me, within the context of master narratives, to consider Iphigeneia own story of self and her thoughts on being martyred.
Epictetus writes about death in a way to make it seem honorable and favored in the afterlife. Not just death itself, but to die for a cause larger than yourself. He uses death as a means to overcome bad deeds in life. That narrative, Christian or otherwise, can be seen amongst martyred people even today. The use of a metanarrative leading people to believe that dying for some kind of greater good will lead to rewards in the afterlife. Epictetus also uses the example of Socrates and that even in death, he remains an important and noble character, and that is actions should be studied “if you wish to be free, if you desire the thing itself in proportion to its value.”
While many of the narratives have complex story lines and characters, Castelli’s use of collective memory can be seen in most of them. Particularly in how certain aspects or actions are counted as exemplarily an considered ideal in society. -Lyndsey Goforth-