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Greek Tragedy and "Oedipus Rex", 2002.
Examines the history of Greek tragedy and describes "Oedipus Rex" as the greatest of all Greek tragedies.
2,015 words (approx. 8.1 pages), 4 sources, £ 45.95
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Abstract
This paper examines the historical evolution and maturation of tragedy in ancient Greece, and the characteristics of a tragic hero. The author focuses on one of the most famous Greek tragedies, Oedipus Rex, and greatly details the story of Oedipus and his tragic flaws. The paper also discusses all elements in an ancient Greek production, such as the prologue, chorus, and exodus.
From the Paper
"Oedipus Rex is a story of one man?s pursuit for truth. Although Oedipus falls victim to obstacles he is unable to overcome, he encounters these obstacles along his journey to find the truth. In the view of Sophocles, the tragic hero must accept the responsibility for his actions, as does Oedipus in the final scene, regardless of his original motives and inability to control or understand the forces in which rule his life. The plot, Oedipus? search for truth, and the chorus are all contributing factors that make Oedipus Rex the greatest in the history of all Greek tragedies."
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The Greek Tragedy, 2002.
This paper provides a thorough analysis of Greek tragedy, with emphasis on Aeschylus, Euripides, and Sophocles.
2,715 words (approx. 10.9 pages), 8 sources, £ 58.95
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Abstract
This paper provides an in-depth look at the history of ancient Greek tragedy. The author discusses the works of Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides, and looks at how tragic drama evolved. The paper also examines stage customs, mythological roots of performance customs, and human ties with gods.
From the Paper
"The Greek tragedy represents the details of a very short period of history that ranges from about 480 BC, at the time when Aeschylus's early plays were performed, till the period when the last plays of Sophocles and Euripides were being performed at the end of the fifth century. The tragedies written by Sophocles and Euripides are the plays written in the fifty years from 480 BC, the time when the war with Persia came to an end, to 430 BC, the start of the Peloponnesian War with Sparta which later destroyed Athens as an independent city-state. It is quite interesting to note that the majority of mature plays of Sophocles and Euripides were written against a background of continuous war. There is no real evidence as to from where the tragedy writing originated, however it is widely believed that the development of tragic dialogue may have been influenced by dramatic presentations of classic and other forms of poetry but its harmonic origins are less well known."
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Greek Tragedy and Japanese Noh Drama, 2002.
A compare and contrast analysis of ancient Greek tragedy and Japanese Noh Drama.
2,835 words (approx. 11.3 pages), 7 sources, MLA, £ 60.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses the similarities and differences between Greek tragedy and Japanese Noh Drama. It examines how although they are separated by nearly two millennia, by thousands of miles and by cultural differences, both were theatrical traditions involving masked performers, frequent use of music and dancing, on-stage choruses and historic-mythological themes and stories drawn from traditions. It looks at how later centuries' understanding of them, depends heavily on Aristotle's "Poetics" and Zeami's essays on Noh drama and how the two writers' approaches indicate the principal difference in the two traditions.
From the Paper
"Greek drama originated in the choral hymns sung to the god Dionysus. Mimed episodes were enacted to accompany the dithyrambs of the seventh century and, as Aristotle has it, a "long series of changes" ended only on Tragedy's "attaining to its natural form" (Aristotle 670). The alternation of choral song and dance with enacted scenes predominated until Aeschylus introduced the second actor and "made the dialogue, or spoken portion, take the leading part in the play" (Aristotle 670). Sophocles introduced the third actor and scenery. And tragedy acquired its magnitude by expanding its scope and increasing the dignity of its presentation. The playwrights proceeded by discarding the trochaic meter, more appropriate to dancing, for the iambic which was more like natural speech."
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Female Bonding with Marriage in Greek Tragedy, 2002.
This paper takes a look at female-female bonds in the Greek tragedy and how those bonds contribute to the demise of marriage.
1,825 words (approx. 7.3 pages), 5 sources, £ 41.95
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Abstract
This paper examines wives? relationships with other women, be they mothers, daughters, or confidantes, as a destructive force in the minds of ancient Greek men.
From the Paper
"There are two main types of women that can change the course of an ancient Greek play by their effects on the tragic heroine: mother and confidante. In the Homeric Hymn to Demeter, we see the first of these types. Demeter, a mother distraught over her daughter?s abduction and rape, is only pacified by the breakup of Persephone?s marriage for four months out of the year. In this case, the cost of preserving the mother-daughter bond is the sacrifice of the daughter?s marriage for a third of every year. The maternal bond and the marriage bond seem to be incompatible; here, the two are unable to coexist spatially or temporally. It is Demeter who, by her passive-aggressive registration of disapproval, manages to become every son-in-law?s nightmare by turning his newlywed wife against him. "
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Phaedra: Greek Tragedy of Jean Rancine, 2002.
An examination of the character of Phaedra in the famous Greek play.
925 words (approx. 3.7 pages), 1 source, MLA, £ 23.95
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Abstract
This paper looks at the Greek poem Phaedra and the challenging role of the anti heroine Phaedra as she battles with her inner emotions of an illicit affair. The paper looks at Phaedra herself and asks whether she is wholly evil or rather just a pawn of the Gods.
From the Paper
"The Greek hero is a much loved and favoured topic of many an author be they classicist, romantic or modern. Many a Greek hero has been idolized by these writers, for example Homer had his Achilles and Odysseus, and Virgil had his Aeneas. However, there is another aspect of the Greek hero or rather in the following case the heroine."
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'Medea', a Greek Tragedy of Betrayal and Revenge, 2001.
Summary and critique of the play "Medea", written by Euripides and, the version, translated by Michael Townsend.
1,155 words (approx. 4.6 pages), 0 sources, £ 28.95
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Abstract
This paper summarizes and critiques the play "Medea" by Euripides and translated by Michael Townsend, emphasizing Euripides? style of writing and the new ideas he introduced such as his views on denial, revenge and the tragedy taking place. The paper also offers a psychological analysis of the characters of the play.
From the Paper
?The chorus in Medea displays qualities of both a commentator and a spectator. At times, the chorus sides with Medea and hopes to give her advice and support, while at other times it quietly looks on, shaking its collective head and watching as the damage is done. When Medea first faces the chorus, her calm and reflective tone, especially after her previous eruptions of rage and despair, reveals her unsettling ability to gather herself together in the midst of a crisis and pursue her plans with an almost inhuman determination.?
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Greek Tragedy and Noh Drama, 2001.
Compares the two theatrical traditions. Background of each, including Aristotle's theories on drama and influence of Zeami on the Noh repetoire.
2,250 words (approx. 9.0 pages), 7 sources, £ 56.95
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From the Paper
"Greek tragedy and Japanese Noh drama offer interesting points of comparison. Although they are separated by nearly two millennia, by thousands of miles, and by cultural differences too numerous to mention both were theatrical traditions involving masked performers, the frequent use of music and dancing, on-stage choruses, and historic-mythological themes and stories drawn from traditions with which the audiences possessed some familiarity. Both theatrical traditions had important spokesmen and the perpetuation of the traditions, as well as later centuries' understanding of them, depended in large part on Aristotle's Poetics and Zeami's essays on Noh drama. But the two writer's approaches indicate the principal difference in the two traditions as well. Aristotle, as a thinker rather than a playwright or actor, contributed to the transformation of Greek..."
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Greek Tragedies and Their Influence on Modern Day Literature, 2002.
A discussion on the ways in which Greek tragedies and the theory of the Greek tragic hero has survived the diverse style changes of literature since its conception.
960 words (approx. 3.8 pages), 2 sources, MLA, £ 24.95
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Abstract
The following paper examines the ways in which the idea of Greek tragedies has been embellished upon by great literary geniuses. This paper examines how Shakespeare, for example, used his tragic plays to purge his audience of their own flaws, which is precisely how Aristotle had defined the ideal tragic play. The writer examines how modern playwrights such as Sophocles, Ibsen and Tennessee Williams began to interject less idealism and more realism into their tragedies, providing a more ?real life? hero than the ideal hero as defined by the dramas in ancient Greece.
From the Paper
"As literature has evolved over time, plays have become less of a staple of only aristocracy. American literature came into existence, and with that came Tennessee Williams (one of many notable playwrights) and his superb work, ?The Glass Menagerie?. Unlike the original idea of a tragic hero that was someone of great influence and stature (though not god-like), Tennessee Williams wrote about real characters, that virtually anyone could identify with. In the play, the role of the hero is shifted between Amanda, Tom and Laura ? depending on the angle of the play at the time. Williams doesn?t focus on the characters, which doesn?t allow for much development beyond their initial two-dimensional appearance. Tom is arguably our hero, but he isn?t really all that likeable. He is mean to his mother, alienates his sister, and abandons them both. Nothing remarkably heroic there. Williams is more concerned with the outcome of the play, and Tom?s resounding guilt for his actions; as a result, Williams revolves completely around the plot. Tom, who serves as the narrator for the play, is essentially the protagonist of the play ? he is not necessarily the most important figure in the play, but he is the first one to interact with the audience, which is the definition used in the time of the Greek tragedy."
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The Greek Tragedies of Euripides, 2002.
The paper discusses the contribution made to the archives of Classical Greek literature by the author Euripides, focusing on one of his best known works, "Medea".
1,429 words (approx. 5.7 pages), 5 sources, MLA, £ 33.95
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Abstract
The paper traces Euripides' rise to fame from a little known playwright, to a master of Greek tragedy and the influence his work has had in western literature. The paper examines the literary motifs and dramatic rhetoric of his works. The paper then analyzes the contradictions found in his play "Medea" and focuses on five specific traits that can be traced throughout the text of the play.
From the Paper
"The two main characters, Medea, a sorceress, and Jason, her lover, are often viewed by classical scholars as the most purely human of all Greek tragic figures without the trappings of influence via the gods. As is the case with most Greek tragedies, Medea offers to the reader an eternal caution against the excesses of emotion and a very stern warning against bitter vengeance, for as human beings, the characters in Medea, and for that matter Euripides himself, "are susceptible to a lethal mixture of error, ignorance and violent arrogance" (Martin, 1996, p. 134)."
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Conventions of Tragedy in "Oedipus Rex", 2002.
Examines the components of Greek tragedy upon which Sophocles' "Oedipus Rex" are based.
2,283 words (approx. 9.1 pages), 5 sources, MLA, £ 50.95
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Abstract
By 500 B.C., Greek tragedy had reached a high point of popularity and was celebrated in religious festivals honoring Dionysus, god of wine and fertility. The paper shows that, taking it for granted that their audiences were familiar with the characters and themes, writers during this time based their dramatizations on myth and ritual. It discusses how, in addition to being familiar with the stories acted out on stage, the audience was aware of the workings of a Greek tragedy: how it progresses, what constitutes a tragic hero, what kinds of conflicts characters face, what moral statement or observation is being made. The paper shows that these four components provide the foundation for "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles and its enduring success as one of the greatest tragedies of all time.
From the Paper
"As does the plot, the characterization of the main character Oedipus revolves around situation more than interaction with other characters. Oedipus is the epitome of tragic heroes, doomed by the excess of some good quality within himself and willing to take responsibility for his ensuing actions (Richards 742). This quality in Oedipus, his hamartia, or tragic flaw, is an unquenchable desire for truth no matter what the cost, a desire that stems from his pride of intellect. Initially, Oedipus, still basking in the glory of having solved the riddle of the Sphinx, exhibits great selfconfidence in his wisdom, oblivious to the fact that his own identity remains concealed from himself. It is this ignorance of the adage "Know thyself," combined with Oedipus' quest for truth, that constitutes tragic character. In terms of Greek tragedy, Oedipus' suffering from hybris, an arrogance resulting from excess (pride, in Oedipus' case), leads to hamartia, the aforementioned tragic flaw that brings about his downfall (Brown 96). The chorus recognizes that "the tyrant is a child of Pride/Who drinks from his great sickening cup/Recklessness and vanity/Until from his high crest headlong/He plummets to the dust of hope" (Sophocles 57)."
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Comedy, Drama and Tragedy, 2008.
This paper examines Greek and Elizabethan tragedies, dramas and comedies.
1,715 words (approx. 6.9 pages), 7 sources, MLA, £ 39.95
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Abstract
The paper describes the basic form of the Elizabethan play that is modeled after the Greek structure. The paper looks at Greek tragedies and comedies and considers Gustav Freytag's classic analysis of Greek and Elizabethan plays. The paper includes a diagram of Freytag's triangle as an appendix.
From the Paper
""Fiction," says Jean Anouilh, gives life its form." Shakespeare derived his Comedy of Errors from Plautus' Menaechmi and many of Shakespeare's dramas are retellings of the ancient fictions of Greek myths, both tragedies and comedies. The basic form of the Elizabethan play (indeed, most plays written in successive periods, up until contemporary theater and film) is modeled after the Greek structure. One may recognize the structure still being used in theater and much narrative literature today. Utilization of this basic structure allows the story to flow naturally, allows the audience to recognize the reality and truth of life in the story, and to anticipate and yearn to find the moral or the message that resides in its heart."
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Homer's Tragedies, 2004.
Summarizes two famous Greek tragedies, "The Iliad" and "The Odyssey", and looks at the theory that Homer did not actually write them.
1,096 words (approx. 4.4 pages), 5 sources, MLA, £ 27.95
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Abstract
This paper examines the theory that the two famous Greek tragedies, "The Iliad" and "The Odyssey", were not actually written by a real person named Homer, but rather that Homer was the collective pen name of all the bards who told these renditions of "The Iliad" and "The Odyssey". The paper also summarizes both tragedies and concludes that, no matter who the author, these stories are wonderfully entertaining and greatly influenced the course of the literature, drama, and philosophy that followed.
From the Paper
"The Odyssey is a sequel to the Trojan War. Odysseus, a Greek war hero, has been lost at sea. For ten long years the gods play with his fate as he encounters powerful creatures and manages to survive many disasters at sea. He faces man-eating giants, seductive murderous sirens, Circe who turns his men into pork, and even the goddess Calypso who keeps him as a love slave for many years. When Odysseus returns home from his journey, he finds that his wife is still waiting for him. His house, however, is overrun with suitors trying to woo his wife and eat his food. Even his dog (who is now a homeless stray living on garbage and must be of a remarkably old age for a canine) dies as soon as Odysseus returns home. Together with his now adult son, Odysseus kills hundreds of his wife?s suitors and all of his corrupted servants. He is finally reunited with his loving wife and evil blind father. (Homer, The Odyssey)"
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The Elizabethan Tragedy, 2001.
An examination of Elizabethan as opposed to Shakespearean tragedy.
1,770 words (approx. 7.1 pages), 0 sources, £ 40.95
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Abstract
This essay discusses the main differences between Elizabethan and Greek tragedy by examining Shakespeare's poems and plays. The writer examines the use of violence on stage in Shakespearean tragedy as opposed to Elizabethan's.
From the Paper
"There are various differences between Elizabethan tragedy, particularly through the works of Shakespeare, and Greek Tragedy. Some of these include the mixing of prose and Poetry, the linear formula of a character with a suffers from a tragic flaw, which leads to the character?s downfall, versus the Elizabethan idea of the Wheel of Fortune. However, one of the largest dramatic differences between Greek tragedy and Shakespearean tragedy has to be the use of violence on stage. And what it boils down to is that the perfect combination of dialogue and action that Shakespeare uses in Othello can be more powerful than just the allusion, emotion, and metaphor that Sophocles uses in Oedipus the King."
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Euripides' "Bacchae", 2001.
This essay describes Euripides' "Bacchae" as a typical Greek tragedy, and compares it to Aristotle's definition of the exemplary tragedy.
1,085 words (approx. 4.3 pages), 4 sources, MLA, £ 26.95
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Abstract
This essay evaluates the authenticity of Euripides, Bacchae as a typical Greek tragedy. Bacchae's structural features are compared to Aristotle's definition of an archetypal tragedy. Also, Bacchae's story plot is analyzed and compared to other authentic Greek Tragedies such as Oedipus Rex and Antigone. Besides analyzing the structure, this essay also correlates the Greek cultural background with the context of Bacchae.
From the Paper
"Bacchae, written by Euripides in 5th century, is a Greek tragedy illustrating intricate relationship between human offense and divine revenge. Both shocking and compassion provoking, the play has remained popular for countless years. Having read many Greek plays over the years, I was fascinated by the similarities between Bacchae and other tragedies such as Oedipus, Antigone, and Electra. Striking structural uniformity of these plays made me investigate characteristics of a typical Greek tragedy, and I discovered that Bacchae displays various aspects of classical tragedy. I concluded that Bacchae is an archetypal Greek tragedy because it exhibits a typical story plot, a tragic hero with pitiful downfall, and a moral theme."
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