The Power of Theatre From ancient times to this modern day, theatre is and has always been an important aspect of society. Theatre was originally invented by the Greeks in ancient times BC, then later brought back into Europe and upwards into England where it had a climax during the renaissance years. However, even in today's society, we still have a multi-million dollar industry that is perhaps debatably dying with the age of film and television, but it is still well alive and thriving. There are many reasons why theatre has been able to stay around for thousands of years, it is an exclusive and momentous event. Greek theatre was invented in what was believed to be the 5th century BC.
The Babylonians is seen as the play which 'opens' the war against Cleon because it is the first political satire written by Aristophanes. Even though only fragments of the play remain, we know that The Babylonians centers on the criticism of Cleon due to remarks from ancient scholars including Dicaeopolis. Cleon was the Athenian statesman during the Peloponnesian War, who was strongly opposed by Aristophanes as he viewed Cleon as a warmonger and a demagogue. (Here it must be noted that contrary to Aristophanes view of Cleon many modern historian have the view that Cleon “… was a more wiser and more intelligent statesman, with a better reputation and a more just entitlement to fame and honour, than our principal authorities lead us to suppose.”) Knowledge of the context of the play, the opposing views between Aristophanes and Cleon (not to mention understanding that the most effective and appropriate way for Aristophanes to denounce Cleon was to write a satirical play) makes it obvious as to why Aristophanes has written a play to denounce Cleon. However due to only minimal fragments remaining of the original play, one cannot know exactly what
Satire being irony, or sarcasm used to expose vice or a moral fault had became the idea for the novel. Thus the setting being World War II made the novel purpose even better. The setting is where the achievement lays “that Heller’s achievement lies in his brilliant use of the setting as metaphor or a satirical macrocosm for many of the macrocosm idiocies afflicting the postwar era in general” (Aldridge). Heller uses satire in order to reveal the idiocy of war (Aldridge). Making Catch-22 the remarkable as well as groundbreaking masterpiece it is today.
which has given us a step towards the entertainment we have today. Aristotle, a Greek philosopher, has also given us a system of logic, which, I believe, a lot of people didn’t thing was invented in any shape or form. With all this things, known and unknown about the Greeks, it has made them popular, stories about their people and gods could be seen written in books and passed by tongue, but one familiar part of the Greek culture and the one we’re tackling in this research is the War’s of Greece, more specifically, the ever famous Trojan War. This research report would circle around the idea of the Greek’s war culture, as we can see in most of their mythology and stories, their warriors are quite violent and think of war as a way to solve problems, thus the research report about it. Specifically, we would be looking at the famous Greek author Homer's work, the Iliad, and on how it shows the story of the mighty Achilles, a fearless warrior and hero of Greece, and his act of revenge towards Hector which leads to the doom of Troy.
This novel is also reminiscent of Greek tragedy in its structure. Beyond the basic questions of form and content, Gaines’s fiction seems to point toward Arthur Miller’s 1949 demythologization of Greek tragedy in “Tragedy and the Common Man.” Miller deems tragedy an art form of and for the masses, for “if the exaltation of tragic action were truly a property of the high-bred character alone, it is inconceivable that the mass of mankind should cherish tragedy above all other forms, let alone be capable of understanding it.” According to Miller, tragedy occurs when an individual, seeing that his/her self-esteem is threatened, decides to do something about it. Miller thinks the tragic feeling is evoked when we are in presence of a character who isn’t ready to lay down his life, if need be, to secure one thing—his sense of personal dignity. This novel is a tragedy not only because it fits so well Miller’s definition of it, but also because in tragedy, Gaines has found structures and values best suited to give a voice to his people—the people among whom he grew up in the old slave quarters of rural
“There is no such thing as an insignificant character in Shakespeare.” In light of this statement, explore the presentation of minor characters in The Tempest It could be argued that the tempest is in some ways completed by its minor characters, their roles stretch far beyond providing the humour that deems this play a tragic comedy. Shakespeare’s use of minor characters allow him to strategically criticise social and political issues often appealing to an audience of a lower social statue, whilst interesting and fundamentally not offending the government or monarchy. This is why Shakespeare is often described as being “socially mobile”. This essay will attempt to explore how Shakespeare has created many dimensions for his minor characters, and how their motives are carefully balanced by their outcomes. Trincelo and Stefano seem most obviously to be buffoonery , and to have the sole purpose of providing comic relief following the intensity of act ii scene I. indeed We meet Tricelo as he attempts to seek shelter from a brewing storm which may be interpreted as pathetic fallacy reflective of the growing dramatic tensions of the play .
Although I am convinced about this play fitting to the genre of Satire, tragicomedy is my main focus of which The History Boys fits in as it contains a lot of it, maybe to appeal to a wider audience. It is for this reason I can argue that The History Boys can be considered as a tragicomedy to a certain extent rather than being completely satirical. The History Boys was set and takes place in the 80s, when the reign of Margaret Thatcher was in full swing. The issues surrounding the education system of Margaret Thatcher is the main reason why Bennett consistently mocks others throughout its entirety but with a sense of comic relief which is why The History Boys is arguably considered to be a tragicomedy, however could be looked at upon as slightly satircal to an extent due to certain parts. An example that is key to understanding why The History Boys could be considered as a tragicomedy is the mocking of A Levels, especially seen from Hector “Boys, boys, boys.
Examination of Oedipus at Colonus According to Aristotle’s Poetics Oedipus at Colonus I felt did not fully meet the criteria for a successful tragedy, only certain parts. Oedipus at Colonus is the sequel to Oedipus the King that has a simpler plot compared to the more complex one of Oedipus the King. If Oedipus continued, to be helpless throughout the story the plot would have been very tedious but in the middle he shows the audience a glimpse of whom he used to be but I felt that Oedipus has too much self knowledge in Oedipus at Colonus to fully capture the audience. In chapter seven of Aristotle’s Poetics, Aristotle discusses the difference between Comedy, the difference between Epopee and Tragedy. Comedy is an imitation of bad characters, which refers to the everyday person showing only the ridicules side.
with the help of three Greek tragedians by the names of Sophocles, Euripides and Aeschylus. Greek tragedies have inspired many great playwrights such as William Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe, which had gradually brought more attention to the tragedy genre. A tragic hero is the protagonist from any literary outputs including plays and novels, who displays a tragic flaw which eventually leads to their own spiralling downfall. Aristotle's defining attributes include being characterised by both good and evil, born of noble birth and the responsibility of the individual. The hubristic tragic flaw known as the hamartia is the cause of the downfall.
Irony in Oedipus the King In many plays and books that are written today and in the past, irony plays a major role. Irony is defined as the expression of one's meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite, typically for humorous or emphatic effect. Irony also entices viewers to see how the events occurring mentally affect the main character. This curse does not come true until the end of the play, when Oedipus and his family are doomed to a life a pain and suffering. Sophocles makes liberal use of irony throughout his play Oedipus the King.