The Attic genre of tragedy shares archetypes and themes with the classic film genre of film noir. Both Greek tragedy and film noir feature femme fatales, women portrayed as devilish or in the role of a killer, the topic of the inevitability of fate is highly prevalent, and both genres incorporate mystery into their stories. “[Film noir is] a low-key black-and-white visual style, with a hard-boiled detective, a femme fatale, rainy streets, murder, and a downbeat ending” (Jukes). The genre of film noir is a cinematic genre that dates back to the 1940's. It has since been influenced numerous modern film genres including neo-noir and tech noir. Film noir is characterized as being a darker, stylized, genre featuring a black-and-white visual style.
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Greek tragedy features many themes and archetypes, including the inevitability of fate, and as França puts it “vengeance and justice” While these genres may be separated by more than two and a half millennium they share a great deal in common. The most obvious connection is their frequent portrayal of women in the role of “femme fatale.” Femme fatale are women portrayed as sinister or whom file the role of the criminal or killer in their stories. In classic greek theater there are many characters who fit this archetype. Two of note are Clytemnestra, depicted in Aeschylus’ play Agamemnon, and Medea in Euripides' play of the same name. Clytemnestra, wife to Agamemnon, is a wife left behind while her husband seeks war against Troy. Taking comfort in the company of a new lover, Aegisthus, see plots her husband's death while he is away. When Agamemnon finally returns after ten years he is greeted with pretended loyalty, but is later met with a net and ax as his wife finds vengeance in his death. Plotting the death of her husband and taking the life of her husband exemplify Clytemnestra as a femme …show more content…
Poisoning the young bride the witch, Medea, use Glance’s death to punish her husband's for his decision to leave her for a younger royal bride. Not stopping with the young Glauce, however, Medea then decides to kill her own children to spite Jason. The barbaric acts are why Medea fits the role of femme fatale. Clouded by anger she will sacrifice anyone to see her husband suffer. Clearly the archetype of femme fatale is core to greek tragedy, and it is core to film noir as well. Audiences have seen the role filled by characters in numerous films, so much that it has become a staple of the film noir genre. These women sit in the shadows the embers of their cigarettes burning bright, these women and there dark personalities exemplify the genre of film noir. Among these deadly women is the 1944 film Double Indemnity's Phyllis Dietrichson played by Barbara Stanwyck. In the film, Phyllis, motivated by greed, desires to have her husband killed in an “accident.” With the prospect of profiting from the insurance fraud, Phyllis uses her sexuality to seduce and work her way into the mind of an insurance salesman, Walter Neff. Unable to resist the temptation of the femme Walter agrees to help her kill her husband. Using her sexuality to manipulate and motivated by the sin of greed, Phyllis embodies the archetype of the femme
Greek tragedy features many themes and archetypes, including the inevitability of fate, and as França puts it “vengeance and justice” While these genres may be separated by more than two and a half millennium they share a great deal in common. The most obvious connection is their frequent portrayal of women in the role of “femme fatale.” Femme fatale are women portrayed as sinister or whom file the role of the criminal or killer in their stories. In classic greek theater there are many characters who fit this archetype. Two of note are Clytemnestra, depicted in Aeschylus’ play Agamemnon, and Medea in Euripides' play of the same name. Clytemnestra, wife to Agamemnon, is a wife left behind while her husband seeks war against Troy. Taking comfort in the company of a new lover, Aegisthus, see plots her husband's death while he is away. When Agamemnon finally returns after ten years he is greeted with pretended loyalty, but is later met with a net and ax as his wife finds vengeance in his death. Plotting the death of her husband and taking the life of her husband exemplify Clytemnestra as a femme …show more content…
Poisoning the young bride the witch, Medea, use Glance’s death to punish her husband's for his decision to leave her for a younger royal bride. Not stopping with the young Glauce, however, Medea then decides to kill her own children to spite Jason. The barbaric acts are why Medea fits the role of femme fatale. Clouded by anger she will sacrifice anyone to see her husband suffer. Clearly the archetype of femme fatale is core to greek tragedy, and it is core to film noir as well. Audiences have seen the role filled by characters in numerous films, so much that it has become a staple of the film noir genre. These women sit in the shadows the embers of their cigarettes burning bright, these women and there dark personalities exemplify the genre of film noir. Among these deadly women is the 1944 film Double Indemnity's Phyllis Dietrichson played by Barbara Stanwyck. In the film, Phyllis, motivated by greed, desires to have her husband killed in an “accident.” With the prospect of profiting from the insurance fraud, Phyllis uses her sexuality to seduce and work her way into the mind of an insurance salesman, Walter Neff. Unable to resist the temptation of the femme Walter agrees to help her kill her husband. Using her sexuality to manipulate and motivated by the sin of greed, Phyllis embodies the archetype of the femme