Spectating Ancient Dramas

Abstract

AbstractThis chapter engages with the theory of conceptual blending in order to evaluate its utility in analysing ancient audiences of tragedy and comedy. It focuses on the emotional responses of ancient spectators to emphasize that affect has been so far underexplored in this cognitive approach. Thus, the essay proposes a dynamic model of spectating, in which the audiences created themselves as watching a given theatrical genre and elicited from themselves a required emotional reaction. This is in opposition to the widely accepted hypothesis of the suspension of disbelief, which sees audiences as suppressing their mental capabilities to enjoy a fictional narrative. This chapter suggests that the reality was much more complex and that the spectators’ minds were hard at work when watching an ancient drama.