The first play to survive complete;  we have only fragments of earlier plays.

It comes from an early stage in the development of tragedy

• it relies on spectacle, music and dancing more than plot.
• it requires only 2 actors: one for messenger / Darius, one for Atossa / Xerxes.

It was the middle play of a trilogy, so we have lost its context.

Nothing happens – it is a play of situation, with this structure:

      foreboding à confirmation à explanation à emotional response

We can see something of the origins of tragedy in the Persae.   Tragedy included:

• a contest (agōn)
• sacrificial death
• messenger speech
• lamentation
• recognition scene
• the appearance of a god or ghost

We see most of these in the Persae.

Several continual images and themes – eg yoking (yoke the sea, and the dream of two yoked women, and yoking = slavery)

The language is a deliberate use of rich compounds and polysyllabic words, and of the “unfamiliar splendour” of Persian names.  Most of these are authentic.   Some genuine

Persian words also occur, e.g. the words for king and boat.

“Much gold”:  to Greeks, this was a sign of pride and effeminacy;

“Much” occurs 125 times in the play.  This points to the extravagance of Persia.

Bridging the Hellespont:

• for Persians:  it was a sign of divine vigour
• for Greeks:    it was a sign of hybris (arrogance)

Yoking (enslaving) the sea is the great act of Persian sin (cf lines 433, 909 – sea imagery is also used for the disaster)

Darius’ speech:

• The capacity of power and wealth to mislead
• The particular lessons of the particular situation take on the aspect of eternal moral truths.
• Darius asserts divine power.

No Persian is other than noble, dignified, heroic (except Xerxes)

No Greek general is mentioned.

Of the Greek gods, Zeus and Athena are mentioned once each; no others

Zeus is not for Athens;  men are for Athens.  Zeus is against hybris (pride).