Euripides

Wu Zetian, who ruled China around 690-705 AD, and Cleopatra, who ruled Egypt around 51-31 BC, have several similarities and differences in their situations and ascent to power, their methods of rule, and their achievements and resourcefulness even though their cultures were not the same they were both renowned female rulers in history in their own way. Wu Zetian and Cleopatra achieved their statuses of ruler threw different means. Both women were very educated in politics and used their…

In the 2013 documentary, The United States of Amnesia, Gore Vidal said, “Art is not a democracy,” he goes on to explain, “in fact, art is the enemy of democracy.” Essentially, the gifted artist, one can argue, is one to whom the ancient Greeks said were favoured by the muses of creativity: accordingly, such divine assistance is undemocratically dished out. Precisely, it is because of the writer’s imagination and astuteness in carefully selecting and arranging words on a page, so as to convey the…

In the history of literature, some of the most famous works are those of Greek plays with their astonishing plots and cryptic motifs. From the tragic trilogy The Oresteia by Aeschylus to the comedic The Frogs by Aristophanes, Greek plays demonstrate tragedies and comedies that today’s society would deem beyond belief. Of these prominent theatrical works is the scandalous tragedy of Oedipus Rex by Sophocles. This drama combines incest and murder to attribute to the calamitous life of Oedipus Rex,…

been numerous attempts through ancient texts to salvage a voice to sympathize with the plight of the women. Euripides being one of the many voices and a “champion of women's equality” (Wright 7), shows his view of the female population through his play Medea. There is no other play, where a woman is portrayed to subvert the norms of feminism and overcome the bonds of masculinity. Euripides depiction of…

Hayavadana is a play which is projected with the myth of Lord Ganesha who is a summation of both- ‘embodiment of imperfection’ and ‘of incompleteness’ and is worshipped as the destroyer of incompleteness. According to Kirtinath Kurtkoti, “The source of the plot of Hayavadana comes from Kathasaritsagara, an ancient collection of stories in Sanskrit.” Vetala Panchavimsati and Somdeva’s Brihat Kathasaritsagara - these two works compose the same tale of the…

Shakespeare in Hamlet act V scene 2 reveals many aspects of the human nature, along with the divinity which shapes the path of our journey. Thus, Hamlet believes that things are meant to happen will be going to happen and no one can avoid it. Men create problems and make harmful plans for others, but there is a divine power which curves your path different than other’s plan, yet bad experiences created by others can make a tremendous mental impact on the person. In Act V scene 2, the beginning…

According to Aristotle, tragic heroes must acquire some qualities, including a superior stature, tragic flaws, and the ability to evoke in the audience a sense of sympathy. Oedipus in the Greek play Oedipus the King by Sophocles is described as eminent, confident, and caring. Romeo in the play The tragedy of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare is presented as handsome, sensitive and passionate. The two characters, although created in two ages that have a gap of two thousand years, satisfy…

Catherine de Medici was an Italian-born, French queen who became very powerful and even more controversial during her time at the helm of France. Orphaned as an infant, used as a pawn in her family's vicious power games, saddled with an unfaithful husband, and forced to suffer the untimely deaths of several of her children, Catherine managed to maintain control of the true power of the French throne in an effort to protect her family and preserve her birthright. Her methods of doing so,…

GREEK TRAGEDY Καλημερα! Today, I decided to take you on a journey through time and space. If you agree, we are now going to leave Australia and catch a flight whose final destination is Athens in the beginning of the fifth century BC. This century was Athens’ Golden Age: it was a political hegemony (ο ηγεμων, ονος : one who leads) which means supremacy, and its economy was growing, but what I am going to speak about today has to do with Athens’ cultural blossoming. The fifth century was the time…

Within literature, tragedy is generally exemplified by a grave and unfortunate situation that is inflicted onto a heroic figure, causing emotions of sorrow and pity for its audience. Today tragedies can be delivered in various literary forms, yet centuries ago a tragedy exclusively pertained to stage performances. The iconic plays of Oedipus the King by Sophocles and Hamlet by William Shakespeare are examples of two traditional tragedies from two different eras, Greek and Elizabethan. It’s due…