From the Spectator to the Participant: The Role of Myth in Shaping Civic Attitudes

Anna CEGLARSKA

Abstract

The aim of the article is to reinterpret the concept of seeing, or observing, and connect it to the need for acting. Such an approach makes the presented idea of seeing similar to its ancient Greek understanding, which emphasized the practical aspect of seeing. This pragmatic approach may be best explicated by analyzing the role of myths, as well as their interpretations and representation in the Greek tragedy. The examples discussed in the article refer to images of both the future (soothsayers’ prophecies) and the past (heroes’ deeds). In both cases, however, it is the relationship between the images and the present moment, when listeners, spectators or readers become acquainted with the myth, that is the most important. The author argues that seeing is more than mere looking, as the former requires spectators’ commitment, both intellectual and emotional, which may be translated into actions. Visualizing the content of a song or watching a theatrical performance not only makes it possible to experience a catharsis, but also teaches the audience to reason, judge, identify cause-and-effect relationships, and, consequently, develop human relationships and act appropriately. Observation is by no means to result in a rejection of reality or in a focus on the future, the past, or pursuit of the timeless Truth. On the contrary, the role of observation is to prompt reflection and action “here and now,” of which the subject is capable owing to a grasp of the ways of the world, its values, the consequences triggered by particular actions, and the skill to appraise them.