In the Greek century most drama plays were tragic, as was the play "The Love of the Nightgale," written by Timberlake Wertembakers. Without reading the play first, we were given the chance to watch the play on campus. After reading the book I found there to be many similar and different perspectives between the both of them.
When the audience views the play, the production depends on how well the actors portray their character. On the opening night there wasn't as many audience members so the character roles weren't effective, as it should have been compared to the literature written. The play slowly reached its climax when her brother-in-law Tereus, who was the King of Greece, had raped Philomele after her sister Pronce was pronounced dead. Later on it was revealed that Tereus had lied to Philomele in order to love her too, but when she didn't have the same intention he raped her. Philomele had threatened to tell everybody that he raped her including Pronce who wasn't dead. In order to keep Philomele quiet, Tereus had cut out her tongue instead of killing her and told her that he could still love her, which was a tragic scene. The production of the play had the audience sympathize with Philomele and then Pronce once she found out the uncovering truth when she was also told that Philomele was dead, and her husband had raped her. Philomel's fate depended on the Gods, and therefore became a tragic myth with no end. In the last scene, when Philomele had become a Nightgale, Pronce a swallow and Tereus a hoopoe was hard comprehend without reading the text, which leaves you with questions what happened?
When reading the literature, there is much better detail into each conversation with the characters than watching the play when we just have an overall view of the play. Although there is better detail then reading the play, you don't sympathize as much with the characters as you do when you watch the play. Viewing the play, you see the actions and reactions of each character for example; when you read the beginning of the text you don't see the humor in the text when you watch Philomele and Pronce conversation about "what men are like, even naked." You don't visualize the soldiers fighting in Athens, or the drum beat in the background when an event is about to occur, or more important the light setting on the stage.
Recently, I had the pleasure of seeing the fall production of Argonautika at the Westmont High School Theater directed by Jeff Bengford and written by Mary Zimmerman. Mary Zimmerman’s adaptation of Argonautika carefully selects which pieces of a Greek story to emphasize, where to begin and end the story, and which characters to feature. Argonautika is very much an ensemble piece, with every actor standing out in multiple roles. Her version focuses on Jason and Medea and begins with an invocation by the chorus that summarizes the story of Helle and Phrixus. The last showing on November 21st of Argonautika by the Westmont High School Performing Arts Department, was exciting beginning to end. Bengford’s production Argonautika greatly captures the intentions of Mary Zimmerman’s playwright into an exciting play for the audience.
William Shakespeare, an illustrious and eminent playwright from the Elizabethan Age (16th Century) and part owner of the Globe theatre wrote A Midsummer Night’s Dream in which he portrays the theme of love in many different ways. These include the paternal love seen in the troubled times for Egeus and his rebellious daughter Hermia, true Love displayed with the valiant acts of Lysander and Hermia and the destructive love present in the agonizing acts of Titania towards her desperate lover Oberon. Through the highs and lows of love, the first love we clasp is the paternal love from our family.
Corrigan, Robert W. Classical Tragedy, Greek and Roman: 8 Plays in Authoritative Modern Translations Accompanied by Critical Essays. New York, NY: Applause Theatre Book, 1990. Print.
Shakespeare’s literature exemplifies creativeness and powerful word use to create bodies of work with strong attributes that grab the reader’s attention. Midsummer’s night dream is an example of some of Shakespeare’s best work. The thesis of this essay is Hermia’s father, Esues wants his daughter to marry someone that he approves of and more importantly he wants someone for her that is respected by the rest of society to admire. This play has love, drama and characters that follow their hearts. Hermia is told she is not allowed to love or marry Lysander by her father. Her father Esues wants her to marry Demetrius. The setting of the play is taken in Athens. Athens is a place of order and royalty and a place where people are supposed to marry
Lucid dreams, or out of body experiences, are claimed to be real by some, even though scientists and doctors say that they are not real. Susan Blackmore explains in “Lucid Dreaming: Awake in Your Sleep?” that lucid dreams are considered different than normal dreams. Blackmore also goes on to say that a lucid dream requires concentration when someone falls asleep. In some cases people claim that they are able to control their dreams, or leave their body whole they dream. In Julio Cortazer’s story, “The Night Face Up,” the main character can arguably be said to have an out of body experience starting after he is involved in a horrible motorcycle accident. He dreams of traveling back into the past to a time where the Aztecs are attacking the Moteca tribe. There are two different scenarios when it comes to deciding what real life is for the man. Scenario one can be argued that the main character is living in present day, and dreaming of the past. Scenario two involves the main character is living in the past, and dreaming of modern day life. In using Blackmore’s article to explain the story, it makes the most sense when the main character is living in modern day, and dreaming of the past.
In one of William Shakespeare’s most renowned and celebrated plays, the story of a General named Othello unravels in tragic form as he falls victim to the lies created by Iago. Once revered as a war hero and wed to the beautiful Desdemona, Othello’s life spirals downward with the untimely death of his beloved in his own hands, ultimately ending with his own demise. Love is the force behind this tragedy. Tragedy is the main driving force that brings happiness and tragedy to the characters within the play. But even as such a prominent force, it lacks clear definition. Love has a different meaning to the characters in the play. Characters like Othello, Desdemona, and Iago all have different perspectives on love, which informs their behavior in different ways.
Despite the male dominant society of Ancient Greece, the women in Sophocles’ play Antigone all express capabilities of powerful influence and each individually possess unique characteristics, showing both similarities and contrasts. The women in the play are a pivotal aspect that keeps the plot moving and ultimately leads to the catharsis of this tragedy. Beginning from the argument between Antigone and Ismene to Eurydice’s suicide, a male takes his own life and another loses everything he had all as a result of the acts these women part take in. The women all put their own family members above all else, but the way they go about showing that cherishment separates them amongst many other things.
In William Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer’s Night Dream” two worlds are contrasted throughout the play. The Athenian state is governed by order, law, and reason; the forest or Fairy world lies within the realm of the imagination where anything is possible. While both worlds run parallel in the play, their inhabitants are influenced by one another. Their rulers, Theseus and Oberon, play critical roles in the events of the story. Theseus acts compassionately with a sense of duty, order and respect; his initial rulings for Hermia provide the exposition for the comedy (May 75). Oberon acts compassionately as well, but acts on a whim and resorts to trickery if it suits his desires; his actions direct the complication in the plot (May 75). Their personalities are characterized by how they attempt to help the young lovers, how and why they make decisions and how they interact with their loved ones and subjects. The rulers’ similarities govern the reasons behind their actions; their differences contribute to the success of the story.
Fairies, mortals, magic, love, and hate all intertwine to make A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare a very enchanting tale, that takes the reader on a truly dream-like adventure. The action takes place in Athens, Greece in ancient times, but has the atmosphere of a land of fantasy and illusion which could be anywhere. The mischievousness and the emotions exhibited by characters in the play, along with their attempts to double-cross destiny, not only make the tale entertaining, but also help solidify one of the play’s major themes; that true love and it’s cleverly disguised counterparts can drive beings to do seemingly irrational things.
In ancient Greece, plays were more then simply a form of entertainment. "Athenian drama was supported and financed by the state. (...)Greek theater was directed at the moral and political education of the community." (Kennedy and Gioia, pgs 1357-1363) Sophocles understood this, and dissipated any pollyanic view of society by presenting us with plays that were intended to teach. Sophocles's Oedipus the King issued a warning for those who foolishly believed that they could challenge the forces of nature. Sophocles was known for presenting characters that are fluid not static. So it should come as no surprise that the Oedipus the reader encounters at the outset of the play, an extraordinary leader, but one who's pride has lead him to challenge his fate, has changed by the end of the play. He comes to realize that all his efforts to change the outcome of his life were acts of futility. We are shown a man who has finally accepted divine will and though now fallen from high estate is uplifted in moral dignity. (Kennedy and Gioia Pg 1364-1365)
...a proper burial for her brother and in ‘Oedipus the King’ son has killed his father and married his mother while Glass Menagerie is the only play which is giving us the picture of real life and this the reason that I have chosen this play as my favorite. This play is more tragic of the above plays as it is a tragedy emerging from real life. The condition of the apartment shown in the play is very much common in the country. In poor countries even worse apartments are found. In the play all the characters are going through a frustration and no one is happy from his present state of mind. The wife is lonely as her husband has left the home. The son and daughter are not satisfied as the son is planning to escape and the daughter is playing the records over and over again to show her frustration. This play is a true tragedy found in the richest country of the world.
Kardaun, Maria S. "Greek Tragedy As A Challenge To Modernism: A Depth Psychological Perspective." Psyart(2011): 10. ContentSelect Research Navigator. Web. 4 Mar. 2014.
Shakespeare’s play Twelfth Night revolves around a love triangle that continually makes twists and turns like a rollercoaster, throwing emotions here and there. The characters love each another, but the common love is absent throughout the play. Then, another character enters the scene and not only confuses everyone, bringing with him chaos that presents many different themes throughout the play. Along, with the emotional turmoil, each character has their own issues and difficulties that they must take care of, but that also affect other characters at same time. Richard Henze refers to the play as a “vindication of romance, a depreciation of romance…a ‘subtle portrayal of the psychology of love,’ a play about ‘unrequital in love’…a moral comedy about the surfeiting of the appetite…” (Henze 4) On the other hand, L. G. Salingar questions all of the remarks about Twelfth Night, asking if the remarks about the play are actually true. Shakespeare touches on the theme of love, but emphases the pain and suffering it causes a person, showing a dark and dismal side to a usually happy thought.
Two of the greatest masters of British literature, Shakespeare and Chaucer, tended to look to the classics when searching for inspiration. A lesser-known example of this lies in an ancient tale from Greece about two star-crossed lovers. There are many variations on the names of these lovers, but for the purpose of solidarity, they shall henceforth be referred to as “Troilus and Criseyde” for Chaucer and “Troilus and Cressida” for Shakespeare. Chaucer’s “Troilus and Criseyde” offers up a classic tale of love that is doomed, whereas Shakespeare’s “Troilus and Cressida” is not only tragic but also biting in its judgment and representation of characters. This difference may be due to the differences in time periods for the two authors, or their own personal dispositions, but there can be no denying the many deviations from Chaucer’s work that Shakespeare employs. Shakespeare’s work, by making the characters and situations more relatable, builds upon Chaucer’s original work, rather than improving it or shattering it.
The time period of Greek theater’s popularity was a very influential time in our world’s history. Without knowing what Greek theater was all about, how can someone expect to truly understand a tragic play and the history it comes with? The history behind the character of Oedipus, in the play Oedipus the King, is very complicated. His intricate past dealing with prophecies, family members, and murder is the main focus of the story. There are many characteristics that complete Aristotle’s definition of a tragic hero; these being the presence of hamartia and peripeteia, a sense of self-awareness, the audience’s pity for the character, and the hero is of noble birth.