The Construction of Tragedy
HUBRIS
by
Book Cover & Preview Text
Preface
Never in the history of humankind has
there been such a clear awareness that just as art imitates life so may life
now imitate art in a practical sense to alter patterns of behavior that have
been continually repeated for over 20 centuries and have never resulted in the
peace that passes all understanding which is advocated by all of the major
religions as well as most of the governments that have ever existed.
At
the dawn of the 21st century, humanity is suffering great losses
through disease and deliberate destruction of cultural mores, property and
personal equanimity. It is poised to
suffer more as the assumption that
conflict is an effective arbiter of human differences again takes over hearts
and minds. Nature exudes diversity not dichotomy. In all of these plays, certain characters
have embraced a dichotomous mind-set or an assumption
of adversarialness
concerning human relationships.
From The Metaphysics of Tragic
Construction
With
human beings in action, a general truth or maxim is enunciated through the
prevailing of the highest energy drive over other energy drives. The dramatist decides which energy drive is
going to prevail in the end. This is the
unifier of the tragedy. For instance, in
Antigone,
the energy drive of the sibling bond prevails in the end and in this way
illuminates a law of nature or a general truth which is more significant than
an imposed political will.
When
leaders of powerful nations accelerate preparation for a war game by lining up
defenses as children do, here is material for a tragedy to reveal that the art
of mutual diplomacy gives a much more secure assurance of the preservation and
ennoblement of the human race irrespective of an accidental place of
birth....In its wholeness it out-endures the arrogant mortal. It is the function of tragedy to reveal this
in humility.
The
Greeks lost a civilization as they lost their aspiration to ennoble and
preserve..
From Antigone
Creon
errs and creates a cosmic imbalance when he refuses to bury Polyneices. Creon speaks in one
way and acts in another. Upon attaining
the throne he speaks of the need for good counsel yet he repeatedly spurns good counsel.....Throughout the entire
play Creon remains fixated on this assumption that the burial rite is
performed by an enemy of his and
probably for money as well. All actions
of others are judged by him from this single perspective. Each different viewpoint represents only a
threat to him, threats which have to be countered. When Antigone
asserts she is obeying ‘the unwritten and unfailing statutes
of heaven’,...... Creon
replies.. While I live, no woman shall rule me’. It is as if he considers she is speaking of
her position only, when indeed she is speaking of universal law. Antigone is now his
enemy, woman is his enemy.
From
the Preface
A
war on terrorism is a war on human beings who produce terror. It represents the rush to a judgement on both sides that springs from the assumption that who is not good is
evil. It falls into the old pattern of
who is not friend is enemy. Yet every human being has an umbilical coalesence with the life force of the universe which is a
generous and sacred bond. Recognition of
sacredness in human motivation is arrived at intuitively or through
dialogue....Dialogue within the coalescence of sacred generosity seeks to
understand the well springs of the assumptions
of others. Fear of dialogue, the
accessibility of an inorganic shortcut through the use of power, leads to
scientifically untenable conflict.
In
an integrated universe with an understanding of umbilical coalescence there are
no primal enemies that is, no right or wrong to the death, no hatred to the
death. The term ‘enemy’ is an emotive
utterance, with no scientific relevance at all.
If we follow this philosophy through we see that war or fighting to the
death of one side or the other, is simply obsolete,
depriving the world of the diversity upon which humanity thrives and prospers.
From
Hamlet
Not
to kill preceding the action, is different from not to kill following the
action. Claudius has already killed and
has created a cosmic imbalance.
Formats
Book Details
About the Book
A
beacon for the 21st century is an understanding of the Science of Being Altogether as practiced
by the great tragic dramatists.
An
integral part of the art form of tragedy
is deemed to be the dramatists’ adherence to the philosophy of the Science of Being Altogether
where the artist becomes intuitive scientist in creating a microcosm of the
universe itself. Six plays Antigone, Hamlet, King Lear, Murder in the
Cathedral, A Man for All Seasons, The Condemned of Altona are analyzed in
similar format
in
HUBRIS, The Construction of Tragedy.
Societies
and forms of government may vary but humanity itself does not change
significantly. Antigone, Hamlet and
Hubris
in human activity such as domination, exemplified by Creon in Antigone, and martyrdom extolled by More in A Man for All Seasons and Thomas in Murder in the Cathedral can be
understood to be scientifically untenable and destined to be chastened or
broken by the universal life force. The
Condemned of Altona addresses the 20th century disconnect of
human morality from cosmic harmony.
At
the end of each play’s analysis, a section is devoted to its contemporary
relevance. Contemporary issues as fear
of dialogue, domination , martyrdom,
religious fervor and ideological
hatred, and the slide into hopelessness
all fit into patterns of human behavior that are explored in tragedy.
About the Author
Descended
from Australian pioneers, Mary Mann has a Ph.D. in Communications and Drama
from the