The Cassandra Project. Prophetic Furor and Female Otherness

The Cassandra Project examines how the ancient Greek figure of Cassandra embodies a cultural model of female Otherness by portraying prophetic furor as a construct of exclusion within societal and gendered discourses. Cassandra, despite her royal and priestly roles in Troy, is misunderstood and dismissed, with her language viewed as incomprehensible, raising issues of rhetorical reception and justice.

Modern interpretations label her traits as pathological, linking them to psychological diagnoses like hysteria or autism. This research traces the literary and theatrical reinterpretations of Cassandra in English literature over the centuries, from Chaucer and Shakespeare to contemporary reimaginings, emphasising how these depictions evolve across cultural contexts.

Through a multidisciplinary lens incorporating Reception, Disability, and Feminist Studies, the project situates Cassandra’s legacy as central to discussions on gender, mental health, and cultural representation in literature and performance.