TRAGEDY AND THE COMPARISON OF GREEK PLAYS (ENGLISH AND LINGUISTIC PROJECT TOPICS AND MATERIALS)
INTRODUCTION
From time immemorial, Greek tragedy is based on the Greeks philosophy and mythology derived from Greeks worldview. The question now is what is Greeks tragedy? The definition of Greeks tragedy can be observed in the poetics of Aristotle.
Hence; defines tragedy as “an imitation of an action that is serious complete in itself and of a certain magnetic in language embellished with each kind of artistic ornament, the several kind been found in separate point of the play; in the form of action not of narrative through pity and fear effecting the proper catharsis or purgation of this emotions”.
In the Greeks societies, tragedy is built around the noble character. i.e, the nobility is associated with tragedy. In this sense the supremacy of gods is always portrayed. The noble character in every Greeks tragedies always fall short, due to their excessive pride and hubristic tendencies in containing matters.
The Greeks have produced three notable tragedians: Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides. Among all, Sophocles works are the most successful and most popular due to the fact that he is more poetic and writes in a more readable language hence many people have access to the works.
It is worth noting that the gods in the Greeks societies determine the future and destiny of every human, a critical analysis and observation of all Greeks place abides to this.
The gods are portrayed in Oedipus Rex as been supreme and the destiny of Oedipus killing his father and marrying his mother could not be averted.
In the Greeks society human been are presented as feed to the gods, whom they can just beckon upon whenever they need them. They are presented in such a manner that human being can’t control of what happens to them rather the gods do. They are posited as such they can’t decide their known fate, feeding fat on human flesh. However, summarizing the Greeks tragedy as that which depict the helplessness of the human being when it comes to deciding fate in the eyes of the gods, will not be wrong at least. That is why GLOUCESTER asserted in king Lear ‘as flies unto wanton boys are we to the gods they kill us for their spot’. With that, the summation of Greeks tragedy has further been buttressed. This shows how the Greeks gods view their subject as flies than can been killed whenever they feel like, depicting their superiority and supremacy.
OEDIPUS REX
Synopsis
A plague has stricken Thebes and the citizens of Thebes have all gathered, crying unto Oedipus to solve their problem. Oedipus sends Creon to seek advice of Apollo. As Creon gets back, he informs Oedipus that unless the murderer of Laius the former king is found, the curse will not be lifted. On hearing this, Oedipus dedicates himself to the discovery and prosecution of Laius murderer.
After series of questioning, Teiresias, the blind prophet tells Oedipus himself he is the murderer of Laius, problem of Thebes. This saddened Oedipus however, Jocasta his wife tells him not to believe in the blind prophet. The situations becomes interesting as Jocasta tells the testimony of Laius son that was prophesied to kill him (Laius) and marry her. At this point, Oedipus was uncomfortable as he also remembered an old man who accounted to him that he was adopted and one day he is going to kill his father and marries his mother. Oedipus remembered he once killed a man at crossroad. Jocasta urges him not to look into the past but stubbornness, hubris, pride and inquisitiveness could not let him. Until he consulted a messenger who had information about how he was born, abandoned, and was adopted by a new family. In moment of insight, Jocasta realizes that the prophecy has come to pass, kills herself and Oedipus gouges out his eyes in fulfillment and begs to be exiled from Thebes.
