Transfiguring Tragedy

Transfiguring Tragedy
Author: Ryder Thornton
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Total Pages: 183
Release: 2024-07-19
Genre: Performing Arts
ISBN: 1040088643

This book demonstrates Eugene O’Neill’s use of philosophy in the early period of his work and provides analyses of selected works from that era, concluding with The Hairy Ape, completed in 1921, as an illustration of the mastery he had achieved in dramatizing key concepts of philosophy. Analyses of one-act and full-length plays from 1913 to 1921 reveal the influence of the three philosophers and establish that O’Neill was fundamentally a philosophic playwright, even from his earliest dramatic sketches. Specific concepts from Schopenhauer, Stirner, and Nietzsche went into O’Neill’s shaping of character arcs, dramatic circumstances, symbology, and theme. Among them are Schopenhauer’s concept of will and representation, Stirner’s notion of possession, and Nietzsche’s principle of the Apollonian–Dionysian duality. These ideas were foundational to O’Neill’s construction of tragic irony apparent in his early period plays. The critical concepts of these three philosophers are the major pathways in this study. However, such an approach inevitably reveals other layers of spiritual influence, such as Catholicism and Eastern philosophy, which are touched on in these analyses. This book is a much-needed introduction to philosophic concepts in Eugene O’Neill’s early work and would be of great interest to students and scholars in theatre studies and philosophy.

Death and Transfiguration

Death and Transfiguration
Author: Istvan Hornyak
Publisher: Author House
Total Pages: 239
Release: 2011-12
Genre: Drama
ISBN: 1468508156

The romantic sweep of Death and Transfiguration greets the reader immediately, from the onset of the first verse of the play to its dramatic conclusion. Set in the stunning locale of the magnificent vistas of the Swiss Alps by the Viervaldstettersee, this play takes you on a breathtaking journey into the psychological worlds of its characters. Based partly on earlier stories and legends of Faust, more specifically, works by Christopher Marlowe and Wolfgang von Goethe, we find him in this version challenging the temptations of evil rather than embracing them. The cosmic conflict between good and evil, between the light and the darkness, is the central theme of this work. Can man withstand the temptations of the evil forces or will he eventually succumb to those desires? Can his will, his spirit withdraw from the constant knocking of Satan? Can love overcome the seeds of hate and anger? Faust, at the outset, resists the invitation to join Mephistopheles; and, in subsequent engagements with the amoral and immortal prevaricator, he attempts and continues to withstand the clever manipulations of the devil. As a result of this ongoing conflict, the plot intensifies as this singular antagonist unveils and harnesses his many talents and powers, relentlessly attempting to infuse his will into the characters. The touching love story between Faust and Margaret takes on new dimensions here. Her growing madness tests the very sanity of Faust himself who finds himself more and more incapable of action as the tragedy unfolds. Will he too join her in the darkness? Is there, or can there be any redemption or salvation from suffering? Set throughout in poetry, the heart pounding pulse and rhythm of the work undeniably transports the reader or the spectator watching the play to new dimensions. Relish in a work that is unpredictable and unique, a play that will test your own convictions.

Transfiguring Tragedy

Transfiguring Tragedy
Author: RYDER W. THORNTON
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2024-07-08
Genre: Performing Arts
ISBN: 9781032322674

This book demonstrates Eugene O'Neill's use of philosophy in the early period of his work and provides analyses of selected works from that era, concluding with The Hairy Ape, completed in 1921, as an illustration of the mastery he had achieved in dramatizing key concepts of philosophy. Analyses of one-act and full-length plays from 1913 to 1921 reveal the influence of the three philosophers and establish that O'Neill was fundamentally a philosophic playwright, even from his earliest dramatic sketches. Specific concepts from Schopenhauer, Stirner, and Nietzsche went into O'Neill's shaping of character arcs, dramatic circumstances, symbology, and theme. Among them are Schopenhauer's concept of will and representation, Stirner's notion of possession, and Nietzsche's principle of the Apollonian-Dionysian duality. These ideas were foundational to O'Neill's construction of tragic irony apparent in his early period plays. The critical concepts of these three philosophers are the major pathways in this study. However, such an approach inevitably reveals other layers of spiritual influence, such as Catholicism and Eastern philosophy, which are touched on in these analyses. This book is a much-needed introduction to philosophic concepts in Eugene O'Neill's early work and would be of great interest to students and scholars in theatre studies and philosophy.

Eugene O'Neill's America

Eugene O'Neill's America
Author: John Patrick Diggins
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Total Pages: 322
Release: 2008-09-15
Genre: History
ISBN: 0226148823

In the face of seemingly relentless American optimism, Eugene O’Neill's plays reveal an America many would like to ignore, a place of seething resentments, aching desires, and family tragedy, where failure and disappointment are the norm and the American dream a chimera. Though derided by critics during his lifetime, his works resonated with audiences, won him the Nobel Prize and four Pulitzer, and continue to grip theatergoers today. Now noted historian John Patrick Diggins offers a masterly biography that both traces O’Neill’s tumultuous life and explains the forceful ideas that form the heart of his unflinching works. Diggins paints a richly detailed portrait of the playwright’s life, from his Irish roots and his early years at sea to his relationships with his troubled mother and brother. Here we see O’Neill as a young Greenwich Village radical, a ravenous autodidact who attempted to understand the disjunction between the sunny public face of American life and the rage that he knew was simmering beneath. According to Diggins, O’Neill mined this disjunction like no other American writer. His characters burn with longing for an idealized future composed of equal parts material success and individual freedom, but repeatedly they fall back to earth, pulled by the tendrils of family and the insatiability of desire. Drawing on thinkers from Emerson to Nietzsche, O’Neill viewed this endlessly frustrated desire as the problematic core of American democracy, simultaneously driving and undermining American ideals of progress, success, and individual freedom. Melding a penetrating assessment of O’Neill’s works and thought with a sensitive re-creation of his life, Eugene O’Neill’s America offers a striking new view of America’s greatest playwright—and a new picture of American democracy itself.

The Tragic and the Ecstatic

The Tragic and the Ecstatic
Author: Chafe
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 344
Release: 2008-08-12
Genre: Music
ISBN: 0199711364

During the years preceding the composition of Tristan and Isolde, Wagner's aesthetics underwent a momentous turnaround, principally as a result of his discovery of Schopenhauer. Many of Schopenhauer's ideas, especially those regarding music's metaphysical significance, resonated with patterns of thought that had long been central to Wagner's aesthetics, and Wagner described the entry of Schopenhauer into his life as "a gift from heaven." Chafe argues that Wagner's Tristan and Isolde is a musical and dramatic exposition of metaphysical ideas inspired by Schopenhauer. The first part of the book covers the philosophical and literary underpinnings of the story, exploring Schopenhauer's metaphysics and Gottfried van Strassburg's Tristan poem. Chafe then turns to the events in the opera, providing tonal and harmonic analyses that reinforce his interpretation of the drama. Chafe acts as an expert guide, interpreting and illustrating most important moments for his reader. Ultimately, Chafe creates a critical account of Tristan, in which the drama is shown to develop through the music.

The Birth of Tragedy; or, Hellenism and Pessimism

The Birth of Tragedy; or, Hellenism and Pessimism
Author: Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche
Publisher: DigiCat
Total Pages: 152
Release: 2022-09-04
Genre: History
ISBN:

DigiCat Publishing presents to you this special edition of "The Birth of Tragedy; or, Hellenism and Pessimism" by Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche. DigiCat Publishing considers every written word to be a legacy of humankind. Every DigiCat book has been carefully reproduced for republishing in a new modern format. The books are available in print, as well as ebooks. DigiCat hopes you will treat this work with the acknowledgment and passion it deserves as a classic of world literature.

THE BIRTH OF TRAGEDY (Classical Art vs. Nihilism)

THE BIRTH OF TRAGEDY (Classical Art vs. Nihilism)
Author: Friedrich Nietzsche
Publisher: Good Press
Total Pages: 134
Release: 2024-01-16
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN:

Friedrich Nietzsche's 'The Birth of Tragedy' delves into the dichotomy between classical art and nihilism, exploring the origins of Greek tragedy and its relevance in a modern context. Written in a philosophical and poetic style, Nietzsche examines the tension between the Apollonian and Dionysian forces in art, asserting that true art arises from the fusion of these opposing elements. The book also critiques the rationalism of Western thought, advocating for a return to the primal and instinctual aspects of human nature. In its exploration of cultural history and aesthetics, 'The Birth of Tragedy' remains a seminal work in the field of art theory and philosophy. Friedrich Nietzsche, a renowned German philosopher and cultural critic, drew inspiration from his studies in classical philology and his disillusionment with traditional morality to write 'The Birth of Tragedy.' His unique perspective on the role of art in society and his critique of Enlightenment values have influenced generations of thinkers and artists. I highly recommend 'The Birth of Tragedy' to readers interested in delving into the complexities of art, culture, and philosophy. Nietzsche's profound insights and provocative ideas will challenge your preconceptions and inspire you to reconsider the nature of beauty and meaning in the world.

The Birth of Tragedy

The Birth of Tragedy
Author: Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche
Publisher: Prabhat Prakashan
Total Pages: 181
Release: 2020-01-01
Genre: Poetry
ISBN: 8184305761

A philosophical work by the famous German philosopher, scholar, philologist, poet and cultural critic Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche, 'The Birth of Tragedy' was first published in the year 1872.

The Birth of Tragedy

The Birth of Tragedy
Author: Фридрих Ницше
Publisher: Litres
Total Pages:
Release: 2021-12-02
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 5040887019

Descent, Ascent, Transfiguration

Descent, Ascent, Transfiguration
Author: C. N. Dudek
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
Total Pages: 104
Release: 2019-12-17
Genre: Poetry
ISBN: 1725253216

This collection of poems is a series categorized within each word of the title: Descent, Ascent, Transfiguration. The collection illuminates a disordered, darkened mind—akin to Hell—suffering leading toward joy, and finally breaking through to a transfiguring perspective of the world. The poems’ intent is Dantean, touching on the tensions of life, death, suffering and pain, despair, hope, sin, redemption, and grace. In some ways it is a Baroque work: fragmentary, beautiful, painful, yet hope shining through. There are poems dedicated to literary giants, such as Flannery O’Connor, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and Tolkien, some Norse mythology, and beautiful natural imagery. It is a very personal collection, but speaks to many who have walked the rough trodden road lined with dragons and even a few pleasant inns along the way—a journey taken alone, but also with important edifying friendship that buoys the soul.