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About Hesperian student / (Lincoln [Neb.]) 1872-1885 | View Entire Issue (April 1, 1875)
THE HESPERIAN STUDENT. it - seem to mo essentially frivolous. I nntlc ipate a time, and that, too, before tho coal Holds and great forests of the North are exhausted, when tho; South shall resume her ancient and normal supremacy; when the voices of other Isaiahs and Homers, of other .'Greek and Hoinan orators, of younger Ctusars and Napoleons, shall give new law to human thought and hu. man destiny. Other Phldiasos, Haphtols. Mlehtul Angelos, Murillos, and Caiiovas will again be found at Athens, Florence, Madrid and Home, or will rise with glo rlous masterhood at Mexico, Sonora, or Tort Kico. If no divine decree has for bidden the resurrection of decayed na lions, and with intention transferred their lurch abused piootninenco to newer states that manifest a truer reverence and a juster appreciation of privilege, the stir of the world miut inevitably icach and penetrate the old seats of civilization, as well as every other region where climate and landsoapo are most congenial to grand necessities and the grandest dovel opement. 0. 0. D. Tlnin the common notion Hint a hlu tonipi'tu we might well exchange some of them for the productions of others, if for noth ing more than the sake ol comparison. Aeschylus may be regarded as the Cre. ator of Tragedy: "in full panoply from his head she sprang, like Pallas from the head of Jupiter." He clad her with dig. nity and gave her an appropriate stage; he was the inventor of scenic pori ..id not only instructed the clu'V"- 1.1 singing and dancing, but appearut himself as an actor. His characters are sketched with a few bold ami strong touches. His plots are simple in the extreme; lie did not un derstand the art of enriching and varying an action, and ol giving a necessary inarch and progress to the completion and dis covery of the plot. Hence his action and punishment which had desolated the house of Atreus. This much I have thought proper to say concerning the father of Traguly, and I shall be content with a less lengthy notice of the writings of Sophocles and Eurlp Ido . The birth of Sophocles occurred nearly midway between that ot Aeschylus and that of Euripides; and for the most. of his life ho was the contemporary of both. He often contended with Aeschylus for the ivy wreath of Tragedy, and lie out-llvcd Euripides, who also attained a good oid age. Nature seems to have favored Soph ocles In many respects. Horn of rich and urlanco of his splendid and amiable qualities. " Hut with all this wo must, never forgot that Euripides was still a Greek, and tho contemporary of many of tho greater names of Greece in politics, philosophy, and tho lino arts. If, when compute) with his predecessors, ho must rank far below them, he appears in his turn gn-nt when placed by tho side of many of the moderns. Ho has a particular stivimtii in portraying the alienation of n , ,u; diseased, misguided, and practically a bun dotted to its' passion?. He is admirable where the subject calls chielly for i-nio lion and makes no higher requisitions, honorable parents attd a free citizen of and lie is still more so where pathos ana the most enlightened State of Greece, li .moral beauty are united. Few of a often stands still; a ciicuntstanco which ' possessed oitth, necessary condition and j pieces aio without passages of the must becomes yol moro apparent Irom the uu-1 foundation. Beauty of person and of 'ravishing beauty. Wo cannot deny him duo extension of his Choral songs. Hut all his poetry evinces a sublime and ear nest mind. Terror is his element, and-noi mind, and the enjoyment of both to the i tho possession of the most astonishing utmost degree of perfection; a choice and ' talents: but we can truly say that tlu-sc finished education lu gymnastics and the'talouts wt re not united with a mind in the softer affections. In his handling, musical arts; tho rich bloom of youth , which the austerity of moral principles, des iny appears aitslero in tho extreme; and the ripe fruit of age: the possession and the sanctity of religious feelings, ( rt held in the highest honor." Quito a number of the plajs of Eurip ides luivc come down to us: and as most she hovers over the heads of mortals in and enjoyment of poetry and art ; the love all her gloomy majesty. He endeavors to ml respect of his fellow citizens: renown ....... ...- ----- .....-.) - - i !"" Vrin'Z "lk M lfc'Ug correspond to his gi- abroad and the countenance of the Gods: to tin- work nf hhi'iii-.v, . M. Uo-i-ut ciiiuiu-r guilt ic sublimity ol thought and the uisl 'those seem to be the principal features ot prominent among them wc might nun- XXIX. Mix-, "It wus Hi-iiKim or -ullry lii-til tiiul .. . , , . ., , L, .... ,. ., . . , . I., ., ., . , . ,. t . . . . lone drought : lmt thl -. to siu-iw-v. Mimll ot.- 'dimension ol his personages. Hence lie 'the lie ol this pious and virtuous poet. Hon tho "Alccstes", " Iphigen a n an- "iirtuilvJ Iu llMMh uo,"P"i's mid over- When a youth of sixteen, ho was selected . lis", " Ion ", " Phicdra and Medea". sun of "iimmrr uliroatl. or from th. wintor lire strained epithets, an the luteal parts ol within door." And. won.' not the llvo of Allni- . . . .. ,, . . , , iiw"lu".Angii-iliic. uuil c'iirliiii. win. nr nil think-1 "is pieces, Irom their irresolved construe er. hnw cxeivlM'il ilio cruniest and '" jioniw- j tl(U, urc oxtromelv obscure. In the sing tii'iit iulliU'tico upon tin' world, mostly -lu-nt In ' "... , Xoritiuni Afrini. . uhii' strangeness ot bis images and ox- I IniM' notifi'd t lint noiii'ritl lii'nlth I? tilwti ut . , , , ... 1.,1 its buM iu Si'iini-kn. ilurinsr tho iwiu-t muii: ' prwsiuns ho resembles Dnnto and Shakes. niun.aM'niiM'irpiinudino.tiii wolahi wlii'ii H puare. Yet In these images there is no thurinomi'tirtood fora tnonlli tit H)siiith'lititH'. , l wain 01 uiiti icrruic grace which almost all writers of antiquity commend in Aeschylus. Origin of the Greek Drama. The origin of the Greek Drama may bo traced to the annual festivals, given by the peasantry, in honor of the God Hue chus, at the close of the harvest season. Bacchus was especially venerated sis the inventor of wine and joint patron, with Ceres, of Agriculture. Upon Ihese festive occasions, the natural fondness of the peo ple for poetry and poetic recitation, to gether with their keen relish for the joke. to dance, on account of his beauty, tit a celebration of a famous battle. He uftoi wards held the rank of General, as col wh me score 01 mommy none 01 iiuin deserve greater praise, perhaps, than " Al. cestes." As delineations of female mis. league with Pericles and Thucydidcs; sion and the aberrations of a diseased and still later was elected to the priest- mind, Phtedru and Medea, have been He nourished in tho very height and vigor of Grecian freedom, and a proud sense of the glorious struggle by which it was wn, seems to have animated him and his poetry, lie had been an ee-wit-ness of the greatest result in the history of hood of a native hero, At twciity-llvc lie began to exhibit Irag. edics; twenty times ho was victorious; he very often gained the second place but never ranked so low as the third. He continued in his most successful career until his DOtli year, and some of his best works bear even a still later date. One gift was denied him by na'tire: a voice attuned to song. He could only gave rise to two kinds of extemporaneous ' battles. In his poems entitled -The Per- effusions; the one, a kind of hymn direct ed to Bacchus; the other, the oll'spring of wit and wine wilii mutual j-sl aid sar casm. From this ancient source has been de veloped the modern drama, with all its splendor; to us, of very little practical value compared with what it was t'. the Greeks. Omitting much that has been said about the strolling Thcspis and his influence upon the progress of the drama, I pass to a brief notice of the Tragedians Aeschy lus, So hoclcs and Euripides; tho only persons of whom we can have any accu- rate knowledge and who may be regarded as representing distinct epochs iu tho progress of the Tragic art among the Greeks. Although some improvement had been made by the introduction of the 1 ny running through the actions of all Greece, the overthrow and annihilation ol ! call forth and direct the harmonious ol die Persian hosts under Darius and Xor.v lit ions of others: and consequently only appeared once upon the stage in the char acter of the blind singer pluing upon an instrument. justly praised. Much more might be said upoju this most fruitful subject; especially concern ing tho form of the ancient theater and flic manner of scenic representation. This question, however, presents Itself to 1110 before closing: what difference wits there between tho inlluence upon and re lation to the people of the ancient and modern drama? Doub'less the difference was rreat. es, and Had louglit with distinguished bravery in two of their most memorable shins" and the "Seven before Thebes", there gushes forth a war-like vein; the per sonal inclinations of tho poet for a sol diet's life are apparent throughout. It was well remarked by Georgias, tho Sophist, thai Mars and not Bacchus, had inspired this last drama; for Bacchus, rather than Apollo, was the tutelary deity of Tragic poets, which, at first thought, appears somewhat singular; but then we must recollect that Bacchus was not mere ly the God of wine and joy, but also tho God of alt highest inspirations. Among the remaining pieces of Aes chylus, we have a complete Trilogv. The Tho principal points of improvement in the dramas of Sophocles were a smooth er polish of the rythm, tho introduction of a third actor, the multiplication ot incidents, a more striking theatrical effect allowed to the more decisive action., and above all, 11 more harmonious perfection of mind than was possessed by Aeschy lus. According to some authors Sophocles was exceedingly fertile, having produced l!iO pieces and according to the most moderate account, over eighty. However Tho relation of the modern drama to the people Is simply that of artistic represen tion and amusement; while to the an. cients its relation was one of political importance. It was the chief source of disseminating ideas among the populace, and from this fact its additional import an ce can easily be inferred. It wns to Greece and later to Homo what the press is to America. d. Granger B.eKi.slation. In the last number of the Stl'dknt wc find a severe criticism upon Ihomis-dlrec-ted economy of our Inst Legislature, in which the writer reviews the educational legislation and points out the short-sie-lii. we have but seven of these remaining, in- .edness of the legislators, and finally clos. iiiuiiir kiniiii ill iiiwi irrniiiiiiii jittirr-i. a . I il t 1 j .......... ..t ii Trilogy wns a serie. ,,, -...rco plays, with , . f 7, ,, V ,, . ., """'w.ngs.gnw.cant language- which the poets, at a later period con- 'T! ' ;V'"'". c " Bloc, " , By the way, it is our private ,,l,..l,i tended for the prize ot the goat and "! 7 " f " ''P'". .'""" tsa sample of Granger legislation, wi.lP.i. ...... ,,,.iii i... ..,?, 1,1 Il,,s "". rolcri'iico to his writings and we might further add. if we tlmmri.t .....v.. ...v,. w.,... vwv"-. V''III01WI M-.OII- Choi- s and still more by intiuducing an actor, separate from the Choi us, and al though Phrynicus had advan ed still far ther by dropping the ludicrous represen tations and elevating the mythological hislorv of the country, still, the most im In other wolds it was the thesis, the an tithesis, and the synthesi. The three pieces which form the Trilogy of AcbChy 1 U8 are the " Agamemnon," " Eloctru" and the " Furies the murder of Agi ........ 1.,. .. 111. .:..... r. . ,.......,. i.u.si ui- suiiiuii-m 101 present, purposes; , u poncy, unit wo tliiiut the nation should and I pa to notice his hticcessor Eurip. celebrate, with due splendor and rei. .ic ing, the death of that institution, wheuev- ido ". The subject of tho first isiis (.ui, 'cnlt to )f Ainuneinnon bv Chtonines- 8,,ou,(1 lise or con So much has boon said both to the credit and discredit of Euripides, that it dlfilciiK to docido whethor we demn him. Howov- liortant changes in the drama were ; tra, on his return from Troy. In the sec- !er' T ,Il'"k il "u,sl ,,(' "dmltted that he wrought by Hie three jiersons just men tioued. Of each of the two older poetb Aeschylus ind Sophocles, we have but seven pieces remaining; but among these, according to the best authority, are their iiiost distinguished productions. Of those of. Euripides, we have a .much greater number; and if it were possible; ond, Oros'os avenges his father by killing iail(,l'(l muc1' ,() tl,(s Progress of the tragic his mother: facto piux el acelemluHCotlein." Iu the third, the conflict of natural duties is repiosontod by ji contention between tho Goils, some of whom approve the con duct of Orestes while others persecute him, until Minerva establishes peace, and puts an end to the long series of crime ...I ....i. ...- ii... rH..i. rt -1 ... uu luu.-ny u,i; uiiiuKii. ioiisiucrcu Willi out reference to his predecessors or con' temporaries, he is deserving of great praise; but he either lacked the lofty earnestness of purpose, or the severe lirtls- tic wisdom which wo reverence in Acs-1 or it may occur. 'God speed the dav " M'l...t .1... I..... .1 ... .. ''' niu uiu legMiuuiro 01 187.1 was short, sighted, and that its so-called economy will prove highly detrimental to the prog ress of the State, we shall neither attempt to palliate nor deny; but that all this should bo attributed to tho Grange olc moot, we shall attempt (p show, is not on ly unjust, bui wholly false. We did not suspect that our editorial friend would admit that the Grangers nos- ticsscd so great Influence as he would now chyltts and Sophocles, io regulate the lux- 'have us believe that they wielded In the