The influence and longevity of Aristotle’s work verifies the value of his opinions. What we as modern readers must consider is the time period and the Greek Language of which the poem Oedipus The King, was created. In Aristotle’s Poetics he outlines what he considers to be necessary for an epic play to be a true tragedy. He also uses his Poetics to outline what he considers to be necessary for a character to possess to qualify for a tragedy. The four main qualities a character should possess are: A.
Art imitates life. Based on this timeless idea, literature serves as a window through which we can better understand cultures throughout history. Sophocles’ Antigone is a complex and multi-faceted drama that serves as an excellent window to understanding the culture of ancient Greece by reflecting on the relationship between the individual and the community in that time. On the surface, it seems as though Antigone reflects on the rights of the individual opposed to the will of the state through the heroine’s defiance, and the ensuing debate over what her consequence should be. However, Antigone breaks the civil law in order to uphold moral law, divine law, and the law to which the polis is held accountable.
Out of all the Pan-Hellenic shrines is all of Classical Greece, perhaps the most prominent and well-known shrine is Delphi. This religious site attracted Greeks, Romans, Europeans, as well as others to the Gulf of Corinth for one reason, the oracle. They came from all over the world to have their questions heard by the gods as well as receive an answer from them. Matters as personal as, whether or not the child being carried is the questioner’s. To large political issues, such as whether to invade a country or not.
The Ancient Greeks dared to wonder and imagine about unknown things, and their literature and art awed the world. Greece was established in about 750 B.C., and was considered to be the culture that provided the foundation of western civilization. Education was obviously very important in these various Greek city-states. With the exception of Sparta, education was one of the most valued things in Greece. The goal of education in ancient Greece was to produce citizens trained in the arts of both peace and war (http://www.crystalinks.com).
These qualities are presented through their pottery, sculpture, and architecture. What sparked the Greek’s aesthetic and where they drew their inspirations from is still being questioned but we have some idea; to create a great piece of art one must first decide the aesthetic in which s/he wants to present to the viewer. “Greek temples reflected their religious beliefs in the gods and their lives were dominated by religion and so it is not surprising that the temples of ancient Greece were the biggest and most beautiful, they also had a social purpose as they were often built to
Greece’s Impact of World Culture The Ancient Greece culture has made many contributions to the world culture of today. The ancient Greeks affected our fine arts, government, sports, medics, and philosophies. The Greek culture has had a very profound impact on the way people live nowadays. One way that ancient Greece affected our culture is politics. Greece had the first known democracy.
Michael Scott: A Dramatic-Comedic Character Since even before the days of Aristotle and the Greek theater, we have separated our performance entertainment into genres. The most dominant of these is the genre of comedy and the genre of tragedy or drama as proven by the classic symbol of acting and theater, the comedy-tragedy masks. These genres have opposite emotional goals. As audience members, we understand what kind of emotional experience we are going to have by the defined genre of a television program or film. We have certain expectations of the types of characters we will encounter and the kinds of situations in which they will find themselves.
Kelsey Jackson AP Language Period 5 November 20, 2011 Fate, Free Will and Knowledge: Their Affects in Greek Tragedies In Oedipus Rex, the themes of Fate vs. Free Will and knowledge bringing sorrow are very evident. Most Greek plays were centered on these two themes and how they applied to how Greeks wanted to ideally live. They believed that the atmosphere created by the characters portrayed in their plays reflected their life and decisions. Playwrights intended their tragedies to be didactic, showing the Greek people what not to choose and how to live their lives through the Gods. In Sophocles’ second play, the knowledge Oedipus gain of his fate brings his inevitable downfall quicker and more powerful than it could have been without his knowledge.
Civil Society in Ancient Greece: The Case of Athens by Roderick T. Long Author’s note: This article is a follow-up to my earlier article "The Athenian Constitution: Government by Jury and Referendum" and should be read in conjunction with it. Some writers have so confounded government with society, as to leave little or no distinction between them; whereas they are not only different, but have different origins. Society is produced by our wants, and government by our wickedness; the former promotes our happiness positively by uniting our affections, the latter negatively by restraining our vices. The one encourages intercourse, the other creates distinctions. The first is a patron, the last a punisher.
A tragedy must stay with one serious issue throughout the entire play. Back in Aristotle’s day a Greek tragedy had a chorus in and it was their part to take an active role in the play. This is why plays had a rhythm or a beat to them. So that the chorus could if the play called for it sing the response. This is the part of the definition that is descried as “in language enhanced by distinct and varying beauties”.