A Hidden Corpse Seen Twice : Staging Death in Euripides' Phaethon

Euripides’ Phaethon centres on the tragic death of Phaethon, the son of the Sun god Helios, who perishes on his wedding day following a fateful attempt to drive his father’s chariot. This partially preserved tragedy has been the subject of numerous philological and thematic studies, but there remains room to explore some of its dramaturgical aspects, particularly those related to staging. Even in its fragmentary form, the play presents several uncommon and striking theatrical features, such as the decision to have Phaethon’s corpse concealed in the backstage space and the possibility that the corpse was shown to the audience twice. These devices allow Euripides to vividly bring to life on stage a myth that was incredibly difficult to represent, rendering it both tangible and emotionally resonant for the audience. Through a masterful use of all available scenic spaces and the profound disparity in knowledge among the characters (and the Chorus) involved in the action, Euripides stages the complete annihilation of the protagonist. Simultaneously, he conveys the mounting grief of those who surround him, depicting a progressive catastrophe that this article aims to analyse from the perspective of compositional and staging technique.