The Era of Greek Tragedy
In Athens, during the final thirty years of sixth century B.C. playwrights began creating the earliest drama in all of Europe, Greek tragedy (Sifakis, “Greek Tragedy”). Though now the products of the movement are seen as pieces of literature to be read, they originated as theatrical pieces meant to be performed on the stage. The tragedies were mostly derived from stories about their gods, such as Hades, Zeus and Nyx. In that time period, tales of these immortals were passed down from generation to generation as history, not fairy tales. The Greeks believed the stories were those of their ancestors and revered them much as people today revere the Bible or some other religious text. However, Dionysus is the god whose cult dominated the Greek Tragic Era (Sifakis, “Greek Tragedy”). Dionysus was not only the god of wine but of theatre, so indeed the Greeks sought to give him special honor. The honor didn’t last long through the era, however, and the plays quickly lost their Dionysiac qualities shortly after the movement’s birth (Sifakis, “Greek Tragedy”). Thespis was the first poet credited with writing a Greek tragedy, but the first performances of tragedies in the City Dionysia weren’t recorded until some twenty-five years later (Sifakis, “Greek Tragedy”). The people’s strong connection to their multitude of gods stoked a fire for the popularity of the tragedies to grow upon. The Greek caste system was set in stone and their moral ethics were mostly universal in nature, as well as their views on the different sexes. The tragedies took these things and highlighted them in their plays, creating themes from contemporary ideas that pushed against the normal social and political opinions of the Greeks. ...
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...oathsome creature” (Euripides, Medea – Medea and Other Plays, Line 1,324). Medea is quite possibly the most controversial and complex female character from the Greek Tragic Era because she refuses to stay within the confines of Ancient Greece’s social classes, suggesting that women can be found more capable than men.
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Aristotle, a philosopher, scientist, spiritualist and passionate critic of the arts, spent many years studying human nature and its relevance to the stage. His rules of tragedy in fact made a deep imprint on the writing of tragic works, while he influenced the structure of theatre, with his analysis of human nature. Euripides 'Medea', a Greek tragedy written with partial adherence to the Aristotelian rules, explores the continuation of the ancient Greek tales surrounding the mythology of Medea, Princess of Colchis, and granddaughter of Helios, the sun god, with heartlessness to rival the infamous Circe. While the structure of this play undoubtedly perpetuates many of the Aristotelian rules, there are some dramatic structures which challenge its standing with relevance to Aristotle's guidelines, and the judgment of Medea as a dramatic success within the tragic genre.
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Kardaun, Maria S. "Greek Tragedy As A Challenge To Modernism: A Depth Psychological Perspective." Psyart(2011): 10. ContentSelect Research Navigator. Web. 4 Mar. 2014.
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Aristotle is one of the most important western philosophers in history that has influenced our society in many aspects. Many of Aristotle’s teachings have affected our world for many years and still continue to have such a big impact. Some of the subjects Aristotle has influenced include: logic, physics, government and poetry. Aristotle’s study of poetry mainly focused on the elements to a good tragedy. Some of his elements have been used in Greek tragedies and modern movies. The Greek play, Medea, and the modern movie, No Country for Old Men, use elements from Aristotle philosophy, while using similar and different techniques but both achieving an effective tragedy.
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