Just a note on a fine question I was asked today in the final meeting of my OLLI course on Shakespearean romance. The question was, how might we compare Shakespeare’s tragic plays with those of the ancient Greeks? I gave a brief answer that centered on the fact that you’ll generally find more action in Shakespeare than you will in Sophocles & Co. The Greek characters tended to take up an attitude or a stance towards whatever the problem or prior action is. Shakespeare is more likely to deal with issues in the context of present action. But beyond that, we can say that like the ancients, Shakespeare is interested in fundamental things: how societies are maintained, and how they are torn apart. Another similarity lies in his refusal to provide false comfort. There are times — as in King Lear, for example — when it seems as if the best we can do is bear witness to our own and others’ suffering. Bearing witness is a classical response, too. None of this, of course, is meant to take away from the strong influence of the Roman writer Seneca’s influence on Shakespearean tragedy — plays such as Titus Andronicus and Hamlet owe a good deal to that Stoic philosopher and playwright.
Last Updated on June 14, 2024 by ajd_shxpr