Oedipus the Queen: Cross-gendering without Drag

Abstract

All roles on the Athenian stage were played by men. It has been generally overlooked in this context that the sex/gender system of ancient Athens was not the same as our own. I provide a new framework for understanding the tradition of transvestite theatre in Athens by looking at three moments when Sophoclean heroes are made feminine. Each of my texts demonstrates an understanding of cross-gendering that is not linked to homosexuality and establishes a broader semantic range for the practice of cross-gendering than does modern drag performance.

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