The Result Of Decades-Long Research For A Clue To The Mystique Of Tragic Pleasure, This Monograph Is A Critical Study Of Tragedy In Theory And Practice.

What is tragedy? What does the term imply? The word had outgrown its original context of literature and art and acquired wider and looser meanings. Originally published in 1968, Dr Brereton seeks to establish the basis of a definition which will hold good on various planes and over a wide range of dramatic and other literature. Various theories are examined, beginning with Aristotle and taking in the Marxist interpretation and the two main religious theories of the sacrificial hero and the built-in conflict in fallen human nature. These theories are tested out on representative works by Sophocles, Shakespeare, Racine, Ibsen, Beckett and others, and the findings which emerge are developed in the course of the book. This is conceived as a re-exploration of a widely debated subject in the light of a few clear basic principles. The result is a lucid study which will be especially valuable for students of literature and drama.

Scholars have often focused on understanding Aristotle's poetic theory, and particularly the concept of catharsis in the Poetics, as a response to Plato's critique of pity in the Republic. However, this book shows that, while Greek thinkers all acknowledge pity and some form of fear as responses to tragedy, each assumes for the two emotions a different purpose, mode of presentation and, to a degree, understanding. This book reassesses expressions of the emotions within different tragedies and explores emotional responses to and discussions of the tragedies by contemporary philosophers, providing insights into the ethical and social implications of the emotions.

A scathing critique of contemporary spirituality by one its most unusual figures.

'This book rests on a lifetime's thinking about history. It helps us see Shakespeare in “a more realistic light”.' Times Literary Supplement The seventeenth century saw the brief flowering of tragic drama across Western Europe. And in the plays of William Shakespeare, this form of drama found its greatest exponent. These Tragedies, Kiernan argues, represented the artistic expression of a new social and political consciousness which permeated every aspect of life in this period. In this book, Kiernan sets out to rescue the Tragedies from the reductionist interpretations of mainstream literary criticism, by uncovering the wider historical context which shaped Shakespeare's writings. Opening with an overview of contemporary England, the development of the theatre, and a portrait of Shakespeare as a writer, Kiernan goes on to provide an in-depth analysis of eight of his Tragedies – from Julius Caesar to Coriolanus – drawing out their contrasts and recurring themes, and exploring their attitudes to monarchy, war, religion, philosophy, and changing relations between men and women. Featuring a new introduction by Terry Eagleton, this is an invaluable resource for those looking for a new perspective on Shakespeare's writings.

Shakespeare's tragic vision has its roots firmly grounded in the thrust and theme represented by the Elizabethan tragic view. Here fate isn't character but it is the character that creates volley like tragic fate. Due to this flaw in his character, Lear got himself fated to be doomed in the world of suffering. Again Shakespeare's Timon suffers for being poor judge human nature. He buys flatterers not friends. By the way, friends aren't for sale, the fact Timon must have been aware of. No gods or prophecies never ever directed their actions, In a world where man is surrounded by Gonerils, Reagans and Edmunds man must have strong cerebral part of character to treat them judiciously. Other heroes of Shakespeare's tragedies became zeros due to the hamartia- a flaw in their character e.g. Hamlet was indecisive, Othello was over-passionate etc. Etc. With the passage of time, paradigms do undergo transformation i.e. Greek tragic vision got replaced by the Shakespeare's.

"The Bard's Tale: Unraveling the Mystique of Shakespeare" delves into the captivating world of William Shakespeare, exploring the enigmatic life and enduring legacy of the literary icon. From unraveling the mysteries behind his works to dissecting the allure of his timeless characters, this book offers a comprehensive exploration of Shakespeare's impact on literature and culture. Through meticulous analysis and captivating storytelling, readers are invited to embark on a journey through the Elizabethan era and beyond, uncovering the profound mystique surrounding the Bard and his enduring influence on the world of literature.

Here laying more stress on modern tragic vision, it is generally democratized, but comparatively speaking this is more true of Arthur Miller than Eugene O'Neill's. O'Neill takes a much more perspicacious, psychological approach that renders the psyche bare and illustrates his view that science and its brainchild of materialism, offers no psychic balm or emotional solace to mankind. O'Neill's tragic vision thus doesn't man but, rather, lays bare the spiritual wasteland that he is in the contemporary materialist world. By contrast, Miller in Death of a Salesman attempts to affirm and reaffirm man within the confines of materialism - a concomitant of capitalism. Other canons of Aristotle, Sri Aurobindo, C.G. Jung, Joseph Campbell, George A. Kelly, Rollo May and Tony Wolfe have also been applied to make the critical study more effective and encompassing .

This collection of revealing profiles captures the essence of a galaxy of Welsh world-beaters from across the sporting spectrum: athletics, boxing, cricket, football, golf, horse racing, motor racing, rugby union, rugby league and tennis. Those featured include arguably the best Welsh rugby union player of the twentieth century; the greatest bowler never to play for England; the farmer's boy who became a master golfer; the Cardiff boy from Splott who made such a name for himself in Hull that they named a thoroughfare after him; the 'Gentle Giant' from Swansea still revered in Italy some 50 years after his last match for Juventus; the only post-war Welsh jockey to win the Grand National twice; and the unsung hero from the Rhondda who became the saviour of Manchester United in the weeks after the Munich air disaster. Their stories, based on exclusive interviews and coloured with anecdotes, will inspire future generations to believe that nothing is impossible.