The Essence Of Ancient Tragedy

An elaboration of Hegel's interpretation of Sophocles' Antigone by one of Hegel's own students, first published in German in 1827.

Book of illustrations is a trilogy and a classic Greek Tragedy by Euripides. Euripides was a tragedian of old Athens. Along with Aeschylus and Sophocles, he is one of the three archaic Greek tragedians for whom any plays have survived the passage of time through the ages. Excerpt: "All her prayers and eager callings On the tender name of Father, All her young and maiden freshness, They but set at naught, those rulers, In their passion for the battle. And her father gave commandment To the servants of the Goddess, When the prayer was o'er, to lift her, Like a kid, above the altar, In her garments wrapt, face downwards,— Yea, to seize with all their courage, And that o'er her lips of beauty Should be set a watch to hinder Words of curse against the houses, With the gag's strength silence-working."

The trilogy known as The Oresteia, consists of the three tragedies Agamemnon, The Libation Bearers and The Eumenides. This trilogy of plays, written a number of years B.C.E., dramatizes one of the earliest, most culturally significant myths of Ancient Greek civilization—how a series of revenge/power-motivated murders in the family of King Agamemnon of Mycenae eventually leads to the establishment of democratic justice. One of the few surviving complete examples of Classical Greek drama, the trilogy is populated by archetypal characters, whose actions explore themes relating to the nature and purpose of revenge, and the relationship between humanity and spirituality (the gods). Aeschylus was the earliest of the great Greek tragedians and the principal creator of Greek drama. He is called the 'Father of Tragedy'.

Ask for the tragic and Europe will answer. Leaving behind the philosophers’ enthusiasm of the nineteenth century, ‘tragedy’ and ‘the tragic’ now seem little more than vague containers. However, it appears that we still discover a tragic essence in our personal lives. This book wants to open a contemporary philosophical perspective on the tragic.

Alfred John Church's 'Stories from the Greek Tragedians' offers a compelling synthesis of ancient drama through a series of vibrant re-tellings. By distilling the narratives from the works of Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides, Church not only makes accessible the timeless tales of 'Antigone,' 'Medea,' and others to a Victorian audience but does so with scholarly acuity and narrative verve. His literary style bridges the gap between classical methodology and more contemporary storytelling techniques, providing an insightful context for the enduring relevance of Greek tragedy and its various thematic explorations of fate, ethics, and human psychology. This work stands as both a homage to the great playwrights of antiquity and an interpretive lens through which their potent cultural legacy can be viewed anew. Much of Church's work, including this anthology, can be understood as a culmination of his academic pursuits as a classicist and his tenure as a respected teacher. In rendering these Greek tragedies into engaging English prose, Church draws upon his deep understanding of Hellenic culture and his pedagogical desire to enlighten and entertain. His commitment to faithfully conveying the essence of these seminal works speaks to his desire to democratize classical knowledge and to underscore the universality of the human condition as depicted by the Greek masters. 'Recommended for students and enthusiasts of classics alike, 'Stories from the Greek Tragedians' serves both as an adroit introduction to the tragedians of ancient Greece and a delightful revisitation for those already familiar with the plays. Church offers his readers a key to unlock the profound emotional and intellectual experiences embedded in these stories, making this edition of his work an indispensable addition to any literary collection. The care taken by DigiCat Publishing in the book's reproduction honors Church's efforts, ensuring that the vibrant essence of these ancient tales continues to resonate through the ages.

A Man's Character is his Fate (Heraclitus); For man's greatest offence/ Is that he has been born (Calderon); Suffering is the sole origin of consciousness (Dostoevsky); There is no coming to consciousness without pain (Carl Jung). "Wisdom alone comes through suffering," wrote Aeschylus, and playwrights throughout the centuries have explored this concept, their characters displaying the depth of the human spirit when faced with danger, defeat and, frequently, death. Yet, as the Sufi poet Rumi wrote: "The wound is the place where the Light enters you." The Essence of Tragedy looks at a selection of some well-known works from the time of the ancient Greeks to the present day, subtly dealing with major life issues - freedom and fate; revenge and forgiveness; passion, desperation and hope. David Irvin's lucidly written short resumes of the texts provide the backbone of his fascinating and impeccably researched study, making this intelligent and unbiased book a pleasure to read. It forms a companion text to his recent book Shakespeare for All. He is also the author of Facets of Fear (2010) and Novels for Ed (2012). David Irvin has worked in education all his life, mainly teaching literature - in schools, for The Open University and for Adult Education. He now lives in Whitstable, having been born in Stockton-on-Tees and migrated south via York, Cambridge, Oxford, Slough and Broadstairs. He is married and has three children.

"From the curator of The New York Times's "The Stone," a provocative and timely exploration into tragedy--how it articulates conflicts and contradiction that we need to address in order to better understand the world we live in. We might think we are through with the past, but the past isn't through with us. Tragedy permits us to come face to face with what we do not know about ourselves but that which makes those selves who we are. Having Been Born is a compelling examination of ancient Greek origins in the development and history of tragedy--a story that represents what we thought we knew about the poets, dramatists, and philosophers of ancient Greece--and shows them to us in an unfamiliar, unexpected, and original light"--