General Introduction Eight Great Tragedies - 2218 Words

General Introduction: Eight Great Tragedies In Greek the word â€Å"tragedy† means â€Å"goat song†, but the connection between tragedy and goat song is obscure. Perhaps a goat was the prize at some sort of early singing contest in Greece, or perhaps the dancers wore goat skins. One medieval writer ingeniously suggested that tragedy is called goat song because it begins prosperously, as a goat is abundantly hairy in front, and ends wretchedly, as a goat is bare in the rear. Dante Alighieri, whose Divine Comedy proves him to be the greatest poet of the Middle Ages, offered the engaging idea that tragedy is so called because its story is unpleasant and smelly as a goat. The American public does not greatly approve of goat songs. We are an†¦show more content†¦While one can never say with certainty why something did or did not happen, nevertheless we may hazard the suggestion that some cultures have never produced tragic drama because their ethical systems stifle it. Among tragedy’s basic assumpt ions is the value of the individual’s life. Societies (such as some in the Orient) which believe in reincarnation seem to worry very little about suffering in this life, especially because suffering may merely be payment for immoral behaviour during a previous existence, and in any event, the soul goes through so many physical bodies that the conflicts of any particular incarnation are, in the long view, trivial. In India Shakespeare’s tragedies seem superficial, for the dominant creeds in the East suggest that â€Å"Life is an infinite Paradise. They who write tragedies are not yet enlightened.† On the other hand, most Westerners feel that the Indians lack sufficient respect for the body and for human life. In their quest for purity, the Indians appear to us to be insufficiently interested in man as we know him. The Bhagavad-Gita (Song of God), for example, is a sacred Hindu text that justifies war on the grounds that death is unimportant. The Orient, w e are told, easily sympathize with Shakespeare’s Claudio in Measure forShow MoreRelatedAnalysis of Worlds Major Religions: Terminologies, Values, and Implementation in Daily Life1704 Words   |  7 PagesMAJOR RELIGIONS 2 Analysis of Worlds Major Religions Terminologies, Values and Implementation in Daily Life Table of Contents BUDDHISM 3 History Origin 3 Basic Beliefs 3 Sub-divisions 4 Teachings of Buddha 4 Four Noble Truths: 4 Eight-Fold path: 4 Role of Charity 5 CHRISTIANITY 6 History Origin 6 Basic Beliefs 6 Impact from other Religions 7 Sub-divisions 7 Teachings of Jesus 7 Role of Charity 8 DIONYSIAN AND APOLLONIAN 8 GNOSTIC AND LITERALIST COMPONENTS 9 REFERENCESRead MoreThe Use of Social Networking Sites1657 Words   |  7 PagesBy Ogechi Ebere By Ogechi Ebere Their Advantages, Abuses and Dangers. Their Advantages, Abuses and Dangers. The Use of Social Networking Sites The Use of Social Networking Sites Introduction: Human beings by and large are social. 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