English literature is presented by numerous writers and poets, which present their pieces of work on different topics and various styles. Those books, that describe certain periods in history are of greater interest among the readers, as they give complete imagination of the period that is known only from history. Plays that are staged based on the books are very popular. Moreover, these works are rather interesting and they have already found their army of fans all over the world. These works are original but sometimes it is necessary to make some efforts to understand them correctly, as each reader may have his or her point of view.
Critics have published a lot of works discussing some important issues of these plays. Even though these plays and verses are old enough, they touch upon areas of life, describing their dark and light sides. The works of Sophocles and Lorca are some of the brightest examples of such plays.
To begin with, it is necessary to tell brief characteristics of the Greek tragedies. All factual Greek tragedies had a similar set of features. One of the main characteristics was that all the heroes of the plays were noble and dignified. This was to guarantee that their descend from elegance would have a better effect on those who watch this play from the stage Another definite and remarkable characteristic was that practically all the tragedies were written in verse.
Probably, it was exactly the verse that made them sound so dramatic and involving. Moreover, the topics of God and fate were always present in the plays, thus making the readers and viewers sympathize with the main characters. And finally, one of the most significant features of the Greek tragedies is that the life of the main hero of the play had a fatal ending and it influenced the life of his surroundings.
And he is coming here to announce it
Clearly to everyone who hasn’t heard,
For he considers it no small matter,
But for the one who does any of it,
The penalty is death by public stoning.
There you have it and soon you will show
How nobly your honor your noble birth (Sophocles 20).
So, Sophocles’s Antigone was a magnificent model of the Greek tragedy as it has all the above-mentioned characteristics. This play was the thirty-second tragedy by Sophocles. It was written in a manner peculiar to the author with very interesting and exciting events. Due to some direction stages, its plot was very intriguing. As we know from history this tragedy was written in the period, when Greece was suffering some sort of changes connected with the development of science, reevaluation of religion, and moral values.
During the play, Antigone and Creon had the so-called philosophical war that dealt with the argument of the Greek principles. Both of them performed their action on the basics of their beliefs. To my mind, the main stage direction of this poem is a theme of conflict and death of the main character as a result. They gave some shade of tragicalness to the plot.
Another tragedy that should be discussed is Blood Wedding by Federico Garcia Lorca. This wonderful play had a mixture of song and poetry, music and rhythm, its events and sets were extremely figurative and stylish. Comparing with the play where the sets were like the events of everyday life, during Lorca’s play the audience watched the stage subjugated for its sensate and theatrical potentialities. This novel appeared to be rather disputable.
Some critics disputed that this play touched upon some general issues and problems while the others supposed it to be a criticism of some areas of Spanish society. The main theme of this tragedy was the conflict between personal desires and laws of the society. This play depicted the tragedy of two persons, Bride and Leonardo, who were in love, but unfortunately, they did not manage to marry due to some reasons.
The realization of the loss of the first love led to the main event of the play, which was the fight on the day of Bride’s marriage. “I can see it in his eyes. And since he doesn’t want them, he doesn’t give me any. I don’t love him, and yet he’s my only salvation…” (Lorca 113). The author touched upon the theme of relations and some strict laws of the lover’s community. So, both plays had practically the same final with conflict and fight, which resulted in the death of one of the main characters. Both conflicts have almost the same reason, based on the differences of views and desires with the current laws of society.
Such genres of literature as plays and dramas, in particular, have always been attracting the readers’ attention. Their high popularity may be explained by the interesting plot and development of the actions, which make the readers and viewers experience the events of their favorite characters’ lives.
Works Cited
Lorca, Federico Garcia. Blood Wedding. USA: Theater Communications Group, 2000.
Sophocles. Antigone. New York: Prestwick House. Inc., 2005.