Greek Tragedy Written By Euripides And Sophocles - 1150 Words

Sean Lucander World Drama English 3000 Dr. Martyniuk Paper #1 Greek theater production dates back as early as the sixth and fifth century BCE (Gainor, Garner, and Puchner 4). Greek tragedies written by Euripides and Sophocles are some of the most famous (Gainor, Garner, and Puchner 4). The tragedies written by these playwrights are well known and the audiences are able to enjoy the story and message portrayed by the actors and chorus. Greek theater designates tragedy as the result of: the demise of characters, by means of poor decisions, devastation and demise. According to Gainor, this destruction is known as â€Å"Tragic Flaw.† The character misunderstands and misinterprets actions or poor judgment (Gainor, Garner, and Puchner 6). Particularly Sophocles’ Oedipus vividly illustrates the concept of tragic flaw by means of fate, hubris, and decadence on multiple proportions. Greek culture is firmly rooted in the idea of Classical philosophy (Nardo 23). The Greeks believe one’s fate is pre-determined and cannot be changed or altered, is it just something you must accept. Within this principle of free will, one must make prudent, ethical decisions, and hope that the God’s (Greeks believe in polytheism) are sympathetic toward one’s misfortune (Nardo 23). Sophocles’ carefully incorporates the idea of having a prophecy as a recurring theme. The play begins with Oedipus who is a strong, admirable king. One day Oedipus was traveling to the city of Thebes. Arriving in Thebes,Show MoreRelatedThe Era of Greek Tragedy Essay2487 Words   |  10 PagesThe Era of Greek Tragedy In Athens, during the final thirty years of sixth century B.C. playwrights began creating the earliest drama in all of Europe, Greek tragedy (Sifakis, â€Å"Greek Tragedy†). Though now the products of the movement are seen as pieces of literature to be read, they originated as theatrical pieces meant to be performed on the stage. 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