Mourning becomes Electra de Eugene O'Neill: ¿Esquilo y la caverna de Platón para crear un drama oscuro?

The fundamental debt of E. O'Neill's Mourning Becomes Electra to Aeschylus, and to a lesser degree to Sophocles and Euripides, has been always recognised but, according to the author's hypothesis, O'Neill might have taken advantage of the Platonic image of the cave in order to magnify his both Greek and American drama. It is certainly a risky hypothesis that stricto sensu cannot be proved, but it is also reader's right to evaluate the plausibility and the possible dramatic benefit derived from such a reading. Besides indicating to what degree some of the essential themes of Platonic philosophy concerning darkness, light or the flight from the prison of the material world are not extraneous to O'Neill's work, the author proves he was aware of the Platonic image of the cave thanks to its capital importance in the work of some of his intellectual mentors such as F. Nietzsche or Oscar Wilde. Nevertheless, the most significant aim of the author's article is to emphasize both the dramatic benefits and the logical reflections derived, as said before, from reading little by little O'Neill's drama bearing in mind the above mentioned Platonic parameter.

Poison without antidote for the historical Socrates and french classical tragedy in El verí del teatre (The Poison of the Theatre) by Rodolf Sirera. (An extreme dose of sadism to put a stop to the excesses of theatrical fiction).

Socrates' serene attitude before his death -although this is questioned-, as described by Xenophon in his Apologia Socratis becomes for the playwright Rodolf Sirera a useful reference in an effort to reflect boldly on the limits of theatrical fiction in another clear example of the Classical Tradition, including that derived from Baroque Tragedy. However, in this case, it is judged severely to make us more conscious of the risk of turning life into a mere theatrical performance and human beings into actors and actresses in a play they did not write.

Verí sense antídot per al Sòcrates històric i la tragèdia barroca al Verí del teatre de Rodolf Sirera. (Una dosi extrema de sadisme per aturar els excessos de la ficció teatral).

Socrates' serene attitude before his death -although this is questioned-, as described by Xenophon in his Apologia Socratis becomes for the playwright Rodolf Sirera a useful reference in an effort to reflect boldly on the limits of theatrical fiction in another clear example of the Classical Tradition, including that derived from Baroque Tragedy. However, in this case, it is judged severely to make us more conscious of the risk of turning life into a mere theatrical performance and human beings into actors and actresses in a play they did not write.

La caverna de Josep Palau i Fabre (1952-1969): teatre versus al·legoria filosòfica per a representar i impedir el final tràgic i fosc del lluminós art de pensar.

What is the use of performing the myth of the cave from book VII of the Republic by Plato? Josep Palau i Fabre, considers that, in Plato's dialogues, the speakers are mere instruments at the service of his dialectical goal. The aim of this article is to show how, by turning the myth into a tragedy and also by relying on Heraclitus's conflict or war of opposites, the playwright succeeds in favoring a sort of thought which is not one-sided or univocal. On the contrary, in Palau i Fabre's La Caverna, the tragic hero, that is, the released prisoner transformed by the light of Reality and finally killed by his "cavemates" -after having been imprisoned again and having tried to rescue them from their ignorance or shadows-, still leaves to them his powerful experience of the agonistikos thought, which might bear fruit in their life to come.

La caverna de Josep Palau i Fabre (1952-1969): teatro versus alegoría filosófica para representar e impedir el final trágico y sombrío del luminoso arte de pensar.

What is the use of performing the myth of the cave from book VII of the Republic by Plato? Josep Palau i Fabre, considers that, in Plato's dialogues, the speakers are mere instruments at the service of his dialectical goal. The aim of this article is to show how, by turning the myth into a tragedy and also by relying on Heraclitus's conflict or war of opposites, the playwright succeeds in favoring a sort of thought which is not one-sided or univocal. On the contrary, in Palau i Fabre's La Caverna, the tragic hero, that is, the released prisoner transformed by the light of Reality and finally killed by his "cavemates" -after having been imprisoned again and having tried to rescue them from their ignorance or shadows-, still leaves to them his powerful experience of the agonistikos thought, which might bear fruit in their life to come.

Tot sortint de la caverna per cercar la vida (Lectura classicitzant de La caverna de Rodolf Sirera)

L'objectiu d'aquest article és mostrar com un dramaturg contemporani pensa de bell nou en la imatge platònica de la caverna per parlar del necessari viatge existencial i de formació de l'home, lluny de la protecció que les cavernes de qualsevol tipus, com ara la llar, el jardí­ familiar o la mateixa famí­lia, poden representar. Tot i que des d'una perspectiva en absolut idealista o metafí­sica, Plató esdevé una vegada més gràcies a R. Sirera i a l'aplicabilitat de les mateixes imatges platòniques una referència clàssica tan útil com ineludible, si es té en compte l'origen platònic de totes les cavernes literàries.

Cassandra's Dream de Woody Allen. La contemporaneïtat de la tragèdia grega

Cassandra's Dream, de Woody Allen (2007), no tingué les crítiques excel·lents de pel·lícules anteriors com ara Crimes and Misdemeanors i Match Point, on s'abordaven temes semblants. Tanmateix, segons l'opinió de l'autor d'aquest article, analitzada des de la perspectiva del llegat de la tragèdia grega en la cultura occidental, els mèrits d¿aquest film no són pas menyspreables. Les nombroses referències a la tragèdia grega, ja siguin títols o personatges, demostren la voluntat del director americà d'il·lustrar la contemporaneïtat del gènere esmentat, com també de presentar els homes i les dones d¿avui com a víctimes d'una gairebé omnipotent i sorneguera ironia tràgica. L'autor es proposa també de mostrar-hi les relacions evidents d'aquest guió amb el de Match Point i, sobretot, amb el que considera guió matriu de totes tres: Crimes and Misdemeanors.

Leaving the cave in search of life (A Platonic reading of R. Sirera's La caverna (The Cave)

The aim of this article is to show how a contemporary playwright thinks once more of the Platonic image of the cave in order to reflect on the necessary existential journey of men and women as in the case of a Bildungsroman. Sooner or later men and women must abandon the protection that any sort of cavern such as home, the family garden or family itself can offer. In spite of writing from a by no means idealistic or metaphysical point of view, thanks to R. Sirera and to the very applicability of Platonic images, Plato becomes once again a classical reference which is both useful and even unavoidable if one bears in mind the Platonic origin of all the literary caverns.

La conquista del nuevo mundo

Greek rnythical tradition presents colonization as a conquest, to civilizated world, of rich lands still occupied by dangerous elements. In order toJight against them, colonial expeditions leaders could receive divine support and also they could follow Heracles ' paradigmatic behaviour.

El aprendiz de rapsoda, o de cuando Homero cruzó la laguna estigia (Lucianus, Cont. 7)

In Charon or the Inspectors we find the ferryman of the underworld on earth, talking to the god Hermes about wealth, happiness, and the vain human striving for material goods. The piece has been considered to be an example of Menippean satire inside the corpus of Lucian"s works. Homeric poetry is always in the background. Lucian uses Homeric verses, or rather, verses structured in the Homeric manner, to formulate his critical view of the mortal world; in addition, he puts these verses into the mouth of a character who must temporarily give up his job as a ferryman in order to practise the art of rhapsody. This paper analyses a textual problem: the two variants in Cont. 7 referring to Homer in the manuscript tradition. In a context in which Lucian wants to make fun not just of foolish humans but also of the Greek poet par excellence, the reading of the ueteres seems more appropriate because it illustrates better Lucian"s parodic intention in recalling Homer and in trying to adapt form and content to the Greek tradition.

La mort a Venècia de Thomas Mann o la via plutarquea vers Eros

A Mort a Venècia Thomas Mann es refereix explícitament al Simposi i al Fedre de Plató per explicar la relació entre Gustav von Aschenbach i Tadzio, però amaga que la seva novel·la s'inspira també en l'Eròtic de Plutarc. Per què? L'objectiu d'aquest article és justament revelar les raons d'aquest capteniment. En efecte, Plutarc elogia l'amor matrimonial a l'Eròtic i aquest no és el camí que segueix Mann, però, alhora, l'escriptor alemany troba en el diàleg plutarqueu tot el que necessita per bastir la seva història d'amor masculí i decideix no prescindir-ne.

"Classicisme versus Medievalisme a l'Anglaterra Victoriano-Eduardina; "A Room with a View" d'E. M. Forster com a exemple

L'objectiu d'aquest article és il·lustrar la ben coneguda oposició classicisme / medievalisme a l'Anglaterra Victoriano-Eduardina tot analitzant acuradament A Room with a View d'E. M. Forster des de la perspectiva de la Tradició Clàssica i, consegüentment, parant esment especial en el significant i la importància del conjunt de les seves referències clàssiques -grecollatines.

Indagación edípica e ironía trágica: el modelo sofocleo en Cat on a Hot Tin Roof de Tennessee Williams

Dado que el referente clásico "Edipo en busca de su identidad" ha sido siempre reconocido para Suddenly Last Summer , el autor de este artículo, mediante un análisis minucioso del texto del dramaturgo americano, propone leer en este caso Cat on a Hot Tin Roof desde el modelo Edipo Rey de Sófocles y descubrir en él igualmente la tradicional ironía clásica tanto desde el punto de vista del espectador como de los mismos personajes principales, Brick y su padre, ambos en busca de su verdad, una verdad, claro está, contraria a la esperada.

Oscar Wilde. De profundis: un juicio severo de Sófocles como poeta

O. Wilde considera que Jesucristo es un verdadero poeta y que Shelley y Sófocles le acompañan. Sin embargo, el resultado de esta equiparación es en realidad muy desfavorable para el gran trágico griego, el cual, precisamente como poeta, jamás podrá alcanzar las cotas de sublimidad y sufrimiento trágico real que Jesucristo representa. Según Wilde, Jesucristo es poeta y poema trágico, mientras que Sófocles es un simple poeta, certificando así la imposibilidad de la equiparación.

Oscar Wilde. De profundis: a severe judgement of Sophocles as a poet

O. Wilde considers that Christ ranks with the poets and Shelley and Sophocles are of his company. Nevertheless, the result of this comparison becomes unfavourable as far Sophocles is concerned, who, precisely as a poet can reach neither the sublimity nor the real tragic sufferance which Christ symbolises. According to Wilde, Christ is both a poet and a tragic poem, while Sophocles is merely a poet, thus being certified the impossibility of the above mentioned comparison.