Euripides as a Poet of Ancient Greece - Essay Example

EURIPIDES Renowned playwright, and poet of ancient Greece Euripides is considered as one of the greatest playwrights the world has ever produced. His wonderful tragic plays reveal his unique diction, magnificent style and superb eloquence of deep observation, gifted talent and exceptional intellect Euripides had been blessed with. He introduced new avenues of creativity, imagination and thoughtfulness, which serve as the guiding star to the future generations to come. It is therefore Euripides is viewed as belonging to all regions as well as the dramatist of all ages and all times without discrimination. Though Euripides’ works won unabated applause and he had a highly respectable place in the list of all time playwrights, yet some of the nineteenth century critics are of the opinion that Euripides could not sustain the status of the ancient Greek tragic drama, as it was attributed to his predecessors including Aeschylus and Sophocles. The critics observe that Euripides could not maintain the sublimity of ancient drama in the same lines as it was the tradition of the matchless and mighty Greeks. On the contrary, the greatest literary critic Aristotle declares Euripides’ works as the most inspiring and moving ones, which cater with all the conditions describes by Aristotle as essential ingredients for the creation and completion of an astounding tragedy. Not only this, but also Aristotle declares Euripides as the most tragic of the Greek authors. The present study analyses Euripides’ talent and tragic exposure with reference to his famous play Hippolytus in the light of the rules described by Aristotle in his Poetics. Aristotle (384 B.C.—322 B.C.) has defined the kinds and nature of poetry in his wonderful Poetics (350 B.C.) According to him, there are two main varieties of literature: 1. The Fine, and 2. The Mean. He has placed epic and tragedy in the fine variety, and the satire and comedy in the mean variety. Thus the great philosopher considers Tragedy and Epic as the refined form of expressing one’s views and ideas. It also shows that Tragedy has been declared a sophisticated piece of art. Aristotle also elaborates the concept of unity of action essential for a fine piece of literature i.e. in a tragic drama. Defining tragedy, he submits that a tragedy is the imitation of an action that is serious and also, as having magnitude, complete in itself; in appropriate and pleasurable language; in a dramatic rather than narrative form; with incidents arousing pity and fear, wherewith to accomplish a catharsis of these emotions. (Poetics: Part VI) He looks for the existence of coherence in the six essential elements in a great tragedy. These elements include plot, character, thought, language, spectacle and song, which make up the whole of a highly refined tragic drama. Plot, according to Aristotle, refers to the development being made in a tragedy, and includes the incidents taking place in the drama rather than the main theme of it. In the same way, theme simply means the main idea on which a tragedy has been created. The third essential element of a tragedy is the characterization and nature of roles and actions played by the actors or characters of the tragedy. The fourth element defined by Aristotle is dialogue or diction applied in a drama. Aristotle looks for the sophistication and eloquence in the creation of dialogue in a tragedy. The fifth of the Aristotelian elements includes rhythm and melody in speech and diction, which turns a tragedy into more sublime form. The sixth and the final element is spectacle, which includes scenes of the play, costumes used by the players and special environment which is in the background of the play. By closely examining all the elements described by Aristotle, it becomes evident that Euripides’ tragedies fulfill all the essential requirements of a tragedy determined by Aristotle, which can be analyzed with reference to his tragedy under the title Hippolytus. The tragedy won first prize in trilogy in 428 B.C. and was largely appreciated and admired as one of the most superior Athenian tragedies. Based on the Greek mythology, Hippolytus presents the powerful character of vindictive Aphrodite, who is determined to inflict her revenge upon the innocent and pure Hippolytus, son of Theseus, the protagonist of the tragedy, due to the very reality that he has refused to surrender before the commands of Aphrodite, the goddess of love and sexual desires. (Hippolytus: lines 10-15) Hippolytus strongly believes in chastity and purity of heart and mind, and is true follower of Artemis, the goddess of virginity and fertility and seeks her support and love. (Lines 57-60) The main theme dominates over all the developments made during the course of time, and contains strong coherence with the theme of the play, where Aphrodite projects and supports her true worshipper and admirer i.e. lustful Phaedra in her campaign of blaming the innocent Hippolytus of committing rape upon her due to his rejection of falling in love with her and having sexual relationship with her. She sobs and mourns in the presence of the nurse that even having exceptional fortune and belonging to the elite stratum of Athens, she is deprived of the love of her beloved i.e. Hippolytus. (Lines 421-425) The nurse tries to convey Phaedra’s message to Hippolytus, but he does not comply with her request of getting involved into any type of sexual affair with his step-mother, as it is an obvious incest, which is strictly against the prevailing social and moral values. (Lines 618-626) The false allegation blamed by Phaedra causes unabated disgrace and humiliation to him and loses his status in the eye of his father Theseus. Hippolytus tries to prove his innocence, but Theseus turns a deaf ear to the entire situation. In utter disappointment, Hippolytus leaves the country, but undergoes grave marine accident and gives up his ghost at last. Hence, Aphrodite successfully exercises her revenge by humiliating and killing him consequently. The play successfully reveals all the elements determined by Aristotle. The plot is very well-knitted, and there appears no flaw at all throughout the play. Euripides sticks to the development of the incidents on the concrete foundations of the main theme elaborated in the very beginning of the play. The theme is moving, inspiring and sublime, where the tragic hero never displays any coarseness, but vehemently refuted to the advances made by his step-mother towards him. The art of characterization, applied by Euripides, is also noteworthy, where both plot and theme are more influential ones than the characters, as the characters including Hippolytus, Phaedra, nurse and Theseus do not dominate over plot; rather, they subjugate to the main theme on which the plot has been knitted. Each and every scene of Hippolytus concentrates upon the actual situation. The entire list of characters in the play wears proper costumes while making their presentations at the stage. For example, Phaedra appears in enticing and tempting costume, while Hippolytus wears his cloak that is quite apposite to his character. The costumes applied by the nurse and Theseus are also adequate and proper according to the demand of their characters. Moreover, since Phaedra is suffering from illness, but is still enslaved by her lust, she even then is well-acquainted with the fact which of the costumes she must wear. It has aptly been observed that the Euripides’ feminine characters are very different from his predecessors and contemporaries. He always portrays a very coarse, dominating, rude, harsh and immoral picture to the audience. The case can particularly be observed in his drama under study. Since Euripides maintains deep insight into human psychology, he knows the very reality that every human contains dual personality; one apparent and the other latent. He usually wears a mask to conceal his real identity from the people, but the mask has grown so much adhesion to the face that the real countenance has damaged with the course of time. The same is the case with Euripides’ characters. The Queen Hecuba in the play the Trojan Women present a very drab, dull, dismal and doleful picture of the women’s condition as captives in the aftermath of the Trojan War. On the contrary, while Phaedra of Hippolytus is the symbol of debauchery and lewdness. The dialogue delivery and quick response of the respondents is the fulfillment of Aristotelian criterion. Phaedra’s suspicious illness and the comments of the courtiers create a mysterious atmosphere of the palace. In addition, Phaedra’s hesitation, while revealing her feelings for her step-son, before the nurse, is also natural and appropriate one. In addition, Hippolytus’s strong condemnation regarding involving into sexual relationship with his step-mother proves him a real tragic hero. The music, melody, tones and atmosphere of the drama also meets the requirements of a great tragic play, as both Phaedra and Hippolytus never get indulged into face to face quarrel, which sustains the curtain of respect and pride between them. The Phaedra’s suicide proves her an inferior woman, below the average characters, while the tragic end of Hippolytus makes him the true tragic hero, who gets reward in the form of restoration of his honor and prestige in the eye of everyone. LIST OF REFERENCES: Aristotle. Poetics 350 B.C. (Retrieved from http://kkvaas.com/file/Aristotle.pdf) Euripides. Hippolytus. 428 B. C. (Retrieved from http://kkvaas.com/file/Hippolytus.pdf ) Read More