Seneca and Elizabethan Tragedy (Classic Reprint) - Softcover
Synopsis
Excerpt from Seneca and Elizabethan Tragedy
In the realm of letters it has been Seneca's destiny, like Banquo's, to beget in his posterity a greatness denied himself. Virgil, that imperial poet, was the founder of a line of degenerate literary faineants, the Epic poetasters of Silver Latin: but from Seneca, decadent Silver Latinist himself, by a seeming freak of fortune can be traced the direct descent of the lordliest names in the dramatic literature of Western Europe. To estimate his influence and to trace the line of descent from him to the Elizabethans is the main purpose of this book. But for the sake of completeness I have prefaced a slight sketch of the rise of the Greek drama, which made him possible, and of the Roman which led up to him, before dealing with Seneca the man, that strange compound of strength and weakness, brilliance and imbecility, and Seneca the writer, so second-rate, decadent and vulgar, yet with an ingenuity like Ovid's, almost genius, and an influence on Renaissance literature which really is amazing.
But before going into details it may be well to try to give the keynote of the whole, the thread that may be recognised running through even the earlier, but far more the later, part of our period of 500 B.C. to 1640 a.d. I mean that endless conflict which under a hundred different names is waged through all cultures, in all times and lands.
On the one side stands Classicism, in its widest sense, the feeling for the value of tradition, of form; for perfect form is of its nature the outcome of a long traditional evolution. And Classical minds and Classical periods are really only those in which are particularly realised the value of restraint.
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Book Description
Seneca's plays were widely read during the Elizabethan era, and had an important influence on dramatists including Shakespeare, Kyd, Marlowe and Marston. This 1922 study examines Seneca's Greek predecessors, his life and times, and his literary legacy. Lucas provides close readings of plays including Macbeth and The Spanish Tragedy.
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- PublisherForgotten Books
- Publication date2018
- ISBN 10 1330262581
- ISBN 13 9781330262580
- BindingPaperback
- LanguageEnglish
- Number of pages148
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Paperback. Condition: New. Print on Demand. This book examines the dramatic legacy of the Roman philosopher and playwright Seneca the Younger, tracing his enduring influence on the development of tragedy in Western Europe, particularly in Elizabethan England. The author begins by exploring the evolution of Greek tragedy, from its humble origins in religious rituals to its classical peak with playwrights like Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides. The book then delves into the life and works of Seneca himself, portraying him as a complex figure who epitomized the contradictions of his timeââ âa brilliant writer, a political insider, and a man deeply conflicted between the pursuit of worldly success and philosophical ideals. The book then explores the ways in which Seneca's works, despite their decadent and often bombastic style, profoundly influenced the Elizabethan dramatists. The author meticulously analyzes the Senecan elements that appear in the plays of Shakespeare, Marlowe, and others, highlighting how themes of revenge, violence, and the clash between fate and free will permeate the works of both Seneca and the Elizabethans. The author's insightful analysis illuminates the complex relationship between Classical and Romantic sensibilities in drama, demonstrating how Seneca's seemingly archaic and artificial style ultimately contributed to the emergence of a new, dynamic, and profoundly influential dramatic tradition. This book is a reproduction of an important historical work, digitally reconstructed using state-of-the-art technology to preserve the original format. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in the book. print-on-demand item. Seller Inventory # 9781330262580_0
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