“The Art of the Con and Sophoclean Tragedy” to be given by Josh Beer, Adjunct Professor of Humanities, Carleton University.

Date and Time: 7pm (EDT) Tuesday, July 21 online on Zoom

If you wish to participate in this meeting please email Catherine Andreadis: c_andreadis@bell.net

Confidence tricks may not be the oldest profession in the world but there again…? The Trojan Horse is an early Greek example. A Big Con needs three parties: a sucker, a roper, and an insider who is the mastermind. Two late Sophoclean tragedies, Philoctetes and Electra, are both framed by a plot of two men to deceive others. Drama, by playing on the emotions, is a form of deceit by which the audience is induced to suspend its disbelief. In these two plays, Sophocles exposes the technique of drama as a con job.

“A witty and entertaining exploration of con jobs, con artists, their accomplices, and their dupes, from the ancient Greek myths through the plays of Sophocles, with clear, Con-temporary relevance in our world of manipulated messaging. Not to be missed!”  Douglas Moggach, Distinguished University Professor, University of Ottawa and Honorary Professor, University of Sydney

OSFAS gratefully acknowledges the support from the Canadian Institute for Mediterranean Studies (CIMS) for this lecture.