Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1897-11-19
THE GREEK DRAMA.

Prof ~. VI. Tyler Of smith COLLEGE In
ttrcsted Large Audience Monday
Evening by an Illuminating Treat.
ment Of That subject.
Prof. II NJ. Tyler of Smith college gave
the first lecture in the college Course" al
the town hall Mondly evening before an
excellent audience. The subject was "Tbe
Greek Drama" which he treated with
great simplicity and clearness. He began
by saying that the most interesting fact i'm
human life is language. but that in the use
of language human thought and feeling
can never find adequate and perfect expires
sion, and therefore the symbolisms and
condensations of life in art are called in
The drama is the expression by language
enhanced and enlarged in its powers by
art of the experiences of human life. As
such. the word dramatic Is far wider
than the word Theatre. Greek literature
is interesting because, with the Greek first,
the scientific mind was attained; and vet
the Greek drama goes back TO exceeding
" simple beginnings. 1t was, in its origin.
the village dance, held in honor of Donv.
sus. representing the eXuberance of ma.
ture, especially symbUlized and expressed
in the vine. Naturally the first emotion
thus pictured would be that of Astounding
happiness, but because pleasure and pain
are relative terms-pleasure to one man
being pain to another-all human life
came to be included, in its joys and sor.
rows, its mortality, as suggested by au-
tumn, and immortality as expressed by
spring as the proper subject OF the choral
dance For more specific expression Of
these aspects of human life one or more
] tyIfrfls,.1 taI
the rest as an actor: the chorus however.
! being retained, but always in closest rela-
| ton to the actors, and uttering songs aud
| sentiments in the way OF a commentary
upon the plot as developed by the leading
| performers. The interest of the drama
| for Us. and its power over us. lie in its
/ appeal to that deeper side of our inward
| life which makes up the main part Of
! living.
The Greek drama is Of special interest
| because Of certain peculiarites of method.
| The plot was some well-known historical
or NEUROLOGICAL event which was treated
with the utmost depth simplicity and
clearness. all eXtraneOus matters and secon-
dairy plots, which so enter into the modern
drama with confusing effect being rigidly
exc uded. These characteristics OF the
| Greek drama are well illustrated in the
writings OF Sophoces who carried the
drama to its most perfect proportion, uni
" and perfection, coming midway be-
tween the force of -Eschylus and the
rhetoric of Euripides. The play Of E Ii
pus Tyrannus finely illustrates the special
marks of the Greek drama. By the story
of the Inflated hero, son of Lalus and
Jocasta of Thebes upon whom fearful
curse had been pronounced by oracle and
h. fr.1 1s.v-s
thai no amou I Of prudence and fore
thought can escape destiny, that the high
est Intelligence is helpless in the hands Of
an adverse fate, and that the breaking Of
fundamental laws Of nature with or with
out the trans gressOr's conscious fault. ar
rves in the end at terrible retriDu.ion.
Human will and wisdom are made to ap-
pear as grit about helpiessly within the
grasp OF overmlstering destiny.
The character OF the Greek drama thus
exhibited along the two lines, first of its
development from simple beginnings. and
second as revealed by an analysis Of one
notable masterpiece, with readings there
from, was followed by illustrations OF the
map of Greece, the city of Athens. the
Acropolis, a Greek theatre. a tripod Ia
prize won in dramatic contes) resting upon
its temple-like pedestal; and then by q
number of scenes from the play itself a:
given some years ago by the students Of
Harvard University. The pictures were
very clear, and the hearers came to fee
that they had been transported into a new,
though very ancient, world and to feel the
touch of human-hearted old Greek lie
with sympathetic response to its power
and intep5ity.
The next lecture will deal with the rise
about the twelfth century, of that remark
able epic of the people, The NiebeiungeI
Lied, which is at the base of so much OF
modern literature and especially is tn,
source from whence Wagner took some OF
his most famous themes for opera. This
lecture will be given at the town hall OF
Tuesday evening. December IA, and can.
not fail to be one of the most interestin!
of the course.