George Steiner's Antigones p. 242-3.
Relations between generations are usually non-negotiable. Greek literature loves to
talk about complications of love and loathing, as well as imtimacy and enstrangement between old and young, parent and child. There is a lot of self-consciousness regarding kinship that determines social organization expressed through poetry which focuses on the power between father and son.
The most important aspects of Greek literature; political, moral, rhetorical practice are given imaginative formulation throughout every story.
On Wikipedia when I typed in "PRIAM" I found out that, similar to the story of Anitgone: "Hector is killed by Achilles, Achilles treats the body with disrespect and refuses to give it back. Zeus sends the god Hermes to escort King Priam, Hector’s father and the ruler of Troy, into the Achaean camp. Priam tearfully pleads with Achilles to take pity on a father bereft of his son and return Hector’s body. He invokes the memory of Achilles’ own father, Peleus. Deeply moved, Achilles finally relents and returns Hector’s corpse to the Trojans. Both sides agree to a temporary truce, and Hector receives a hero’s funeral. Achilles further goes on to give Priam leave to hold a proper funeral for Hector complete with funeral games. He promises that no Greek will engage in combat for 11 days, but on the 12th the war would resume."
How Greek sensibility knew and felt about life and death, the acceptance of tragic fate and the claims of mercy, uncertainties, the equivocations of intent and of mutual recognition which inhabit all speech between mortals is expressed in the Iliad originally. The reference to the rights of the dead which are central to Antigone is a central theme as well in Greek literature.
Friday, February 9, 2007
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