Why is Aeschylus called the father of tragedy? Test Aeschylus - "the father of tragedy." New from Euripides

In the 7th - 8th centuries. BC, the cult of Dionysus, the god of the productive forces of nature, fertility and wine, is widespread. The cult of Dionysus was rich in carnival-type rituals. A number of traditions were dedicated to Dionysus, and the emergence of all genres of Greek drama, based on ritual magic games, is associated with them. The staging of tragedies at festivals dedicated to Dionysus became official at the end of the 8th century BC during the era of tyranny.

Tyranny arose in the struggle of the people against the government family nobility, the tyrants ruled the state, naturally, they relied on artisans, traders and farmers. Wanting to ensure popular support for the government, the tyrants confirmed the cult of Dionysus, popular among farmers. Under the Athenian tyrant Lysistrata, the cult of Dionysus became a state cult, and the holiday of the “Great Dionysius” was established. The production of tragedies was introduced in Athens in 534. All ancient Greek theaters were built according to the same type: under open air and along the hillsides.

The first stone theater was built in Athens and could accommodate from 17,000 to 30,000 people. The round platform was called the orchestra; even further away is the skena, the room in which the actors changed clothes. At first there were no decorations in the theater. By the middle of the 5th century. BC. Pieces of canvas began to be leaned against the façade of the sketches, painted conventionally: “Trees meant the forest, the dolphin meant the sea, the river god meant the river.” Only men and only free citizens could perform in the Greek theater. The actors enjoyed a certain respect and performed in masks. One actor could, changing masks, play male and female roles.

Almost no biographical information has been preserved about Aeschylus. It is known that he was born in the town of Eleusis near Athens, that he came from noble family that his father owned vineyards, and that his family took an active part in the war with the Persians. Aeschylus himself, judging by the epitaph he composed for himself, valued himself more as a participant in the battle of Marathon than as a poet.

We also know that he is around 470 BC. was in Sicily, where his tragedy “The Persians” was staged a second time, and that in 458 BC. he left again for Sicily. He died and was buried there.

One of the reasons for Aeschylus’s departure, according to ancient biographers, is the resentment of his contemporaries, who began to give preference to the work of his younger contemporary, Sophocles.

The ancients already called Aeschylus “the father of tragedy,” although he was not the first author of tragedy. The Greeks considered Thespis, who lived in the second half of the 4th century, to be the founder of the tragic genre. BC. and, in the words of Horace, “carrying tragedy in a chariot.” Apparently Thespile was transporting costumes, masks, etc. from village to village. He was the first reformer of tragedy, since he introduced an actor who answered the chorus, and, changing masks, played the roles of all the characters in the drama. We also know other names of tragic poets who lived before Aeschylus, but they did not make significant changes to the structure of the drama.

Aeschylus was the second reformer of tragedy. His plays are closely related to, and sometimes directly dedicated to, current problems modernity, and his connection with the cult of Dionysus was concentrated in satyr drama. Aeschylus turned a primitive cantata into dramatic work by limiting the role of the chorus and introducing a second actor into the action. Those improvements that were introduced by subsequent poets were only quantitative in nature and could not significantly change the structure of the drama created by Aeschylus.

The introduction of a second actor created the opportunity to portray a conflict, a dramatic struggle. It is possible that it was Aeschylus who came up with the idea of ​​the trilogy, i.e. the development of one plot in three tragedies, which made it possible to more fully reveal this plot.

Aeschylus can be called the poet of the formation of democracy. Firstly, the beginning of his work coincides with the time of the struggle against tyranny, the establishment of democratic order in Athens and the gradual victory of democratic principles in all spheres public life. Secondly, Aeschylus was a supporter of democracy, a participant in the war with the Persians, active participant the social life of his city, and in tragedies he defended the new order and the moral standards corresponding to them. Of the 90 tragedies and satyr dramas he created, 7 have reached us in full, and in all of them we find a thoughtful defense of democratic principles.

The most archaic tragedy of Aeschylus is “The Prayers”: more than half of its text is occupied by choral parts.

An adherent of the new order, Aeschylus acts here as a defender of paternal law and the principles of a democratic state. He rejects not only the custom of blood feud, but also the religious purification of shed blood, depicted earlier in the poem of Stesichorus, a lyric poet of the 7th - 6th centuries BC, who owns one of the adaptations of the myth of Orestes.

The pre-Olympic gods and the old principles of life are not rejected in the tragedy: a cult is established in honor of the Erinyes in Athens, but they will now be revered under the name of Eumenides, benevolent goddesses, givers of fertility.

Thus, reconciling the old aristocratic principles with the new, democratic ones, Aeschylus calls on his fellow citizens to a reasonable settlement of contradictions, to mutual concessions for the sake of preserving civil peace. In the tragedy there are repeated calls for harmony and warnings against civil strife. For example, Athena:

“May abundance be here forever

Fruits of the earth, let the gardens grow richly,

And let the human race multiply. And just let

The seed of the daring and arrogant perishes.

As a farmer, I would like to weed

A weed so that it does not choke the noble color.”

(Art. 908-913: translated by S. Apta)

Athena (Erinyam):

“So don’t harm my land, not this

Bloody feuds, intoxicating the youths

Intoxicated by the intoxicating intoxication of rabies. my people

Don't set it on fire like roosters so that there won't be

Internecine wars in the country. Let the citizens

They do not harbor insolent enmity towards each other.”

(Art. 860-865; translated by S. Apta)

If the aristocrats were not content with the honors bestowed upon them, but sought to preserve all their previous privileges, the establishment of a democratic polis would not have been achieved with “little blood”, as it actually happened; Having accepted the new order on certain conditions, the aristocrats acted wisely, like the Erinyes, who agreed to perform new functions and renounced their claims.

Aeschylus reduced the role of the choir and paid more attention stage action, than it was before him, nevertheless, choral parts occupy a significant place in his tragedies, which is especially noticeable when comparing his dramas with the works of subsequent tragic poets. Artistic technique Aeschylus is commonly called “silent sorrow.” This technique was already noted by Aristophanes in “Frogs”: the hero of Aeschylus is silent for a long time, while other characters talk about him or his silence in order to draw the viewer’s attention to him.

According to ancient philologists, the scenes of silence of Niobe at the grave of her children, and Achilles at the body of Patroclus, in the tragedies of Aeschylus “Niobe” and “The Myrmidons” that have not reached us, were especially long.

In this tragedy, Aeschylus protests against the violence from which the daughters of Danae are fleeing, contrasts Athenian freedom with Eastern despotism and develops an ideal ruler who does not take serious steps without the consent of the people.

The myth of the humane titan Prometheus, who stole fire for people from Zeus, is the basis of the tragedy “Chained Prometheus” (one of the later works of Aeschylus).

Prometheus, chained to a rock by order of Zeus as punishment for stealing fire, pronounces angry, accusatory speeches against the gods and especially Zeus. However, one should not see in this a conscious criticism of religion on the part of Aeschylus: the myth of Prometheus is used by the poet to pose current socio-ethical problems. Memories of tyranny were still fresh in Athens, and in Prometheus Bound, Aeschylus warns his fellow citizens against the return of tyranny. The face of Zeus depicts a typical tyrant; Prometheus personifies the pathos of freedom and humanism hostile to tyranny.

The latest work of Aeschylus is the trilogy “Oresteia” (458) - the only trilogy that has completely come down to us from Greek drama. Its plot is based on the myth about the fate of the Argive king Agamemnon, over whose family a hereditary curse hung. The idea of ​​divine retribution, reaching not only the criminal, but also his descendants, who in turn are doomed to commit a crime, has taken root since the time of the tribal system, which conceived the clan as a single whole.

Returned victorious with Trojan War, Agamemnom was killed by his wife Clytemnestra on the very first day. The trilogy is named after Agamemnon's son, Orestes, who kills his mother to avenge his father's death. The first part of the trilogy: “Agamemnon” tells about the return of Agamemnon, about the feigned joy of Clytemnestra, who arranges a solemn meeting for him; about his murder.

In the second part (“Choephors”), the children of Agamemnon take revenge for the death of their father. Obeying the will of Apollo, and inspired by his sister Electra and friend Pylades, Orestes kills Clytemnestra. Immediately after this, Orestes begins to be pursued by the ancient goddess of revenge, Erypnia, who, obviously, personifies the torments of Orestes's conscience - the matricide.

The murder of a mother in ancient society was considered the most serious, irredeemable crime, while the murder of a husband can be expiated: after all, the husband is not a blood relative of the wife. This is why the Erinyes defend Clytemnestra and demand the punishment of Orestes.

Apollo and Athena, the “new gods” who here personify the principle of citizenship, adhere to a different point of view. Apollo, in his speech at the trial, accuses Clytemnestra of killing a man, which in his opinion is much more terrible than killing a woman, even a mother.

Key Concepts

Cult of Dionysus, great Dionysia, ancient tragedy, ancient theatre, orchestra, skena, katurni, “Aeschylus the Father of Tragedy”, “Chained Prometheus”, “Oresteia”, “silent sorrow”.

Literature

• 1. I.M. Tronsky: History ancient literature. M. 1998
• 2. V.N. Yarkho: Aeschylus and the problems of ancient Greek tragedy.
• 3. Aeschylus “Chained Prometheus.”
• 4. Aeschylus “Oresteia”
• 5. D. Kalistov " Ancient theater" L. 1970

The ancient Greek playwright, poet of the era of the formation of the Athenian state and the Greco-Persian wars, is the founder ancient tragedy in its established forms, the true “father of tragedy.”

Material serve for Aeschylus heroic tales.

Aeschylus first:

Increased the number of actors from one to two,

Reduced the choir parts,

Gave primacy to dialogue.

In pre-Aeschylean tragedy, the story of a single actor about what was happening behind the stage and his dialogue with the luminary served only as a pretext for the lyrical outpourings of the chorus. Thanks to the introduction of a second actor, it became possible enhance dramatic action , pitting opposing forces against each other, and characterize one actor his reaction to the messages or actions of another.

Entirely preserved 7 tragedies. “The Petitioner” is the earliest.

In the tragedy “Seven Against Thebes,” a vivid image of the hero and an increased role of dialogue are shown for the first time. The beginning of the tragedy is a prologue, not a parody, i.e. acting scene.

The surviving tragedies allow us to outline three stages in the works of Aeschylus:

1. “Petitioners”, “Persians” - characterized by a predominance of choral parts, little use of a second actor and poor development of dialogue.

2. “Seven against Thebes” and “Prometheus Bound.” Appears here central image a hero characterized by several basic traits; receives greater development dialogue, prologues are created.

3. “Oresteia”, with its more complex composition, increasing drama, numerous secondary images and the use of three actors.

PROBLEMS OF THE TRAGEDIES OF SOPHOCLES

Sophocles(495 BC - 405 BC) - second great tragic poet of 5th century Athens. Poet of the birth time Athenian democracy. "Oedipus the King", "Antigone".

His works enjoyed exceptional success: he 24 won the first prize in competitions once and never finished last place. Sophocles completed the work begun by Aeschylus transformation of tragedy from a lyrical cantata into drama. Tragedies of Sophocles distinguished by the clarity of dramatic composition. They usually begin with expositional scenes in which the starting position is explained and a certain plan of behavior for the characters is developed.

New from Sophocles:

The center of gravity on the image of people, their decisions and actions;

The gods do not influence decisions;

Third actor.

Problems that worried Sophocles are connected with the fate of the individual, and not with the fate of the family. Speaking with three tragedies, he makes each of them an independent artistic whole, containing all its problems. An example of Sophocles' dramaturgy can be his tragedy "Antigone". The question was relevant: defenders of polis traditions considered “unwritten laws” to be “divinely established” and inviolable, in contrast to the changeable laws of people. Conservative in religious matters, Athenian democracy also demanded respect for “unwritten laws.”

Depicting the greatness of man, the wealth of his mental and moral powers, Sophocles at the same time depicts his powerlessness, the limitations of human capabilities.

"Antigone". The heroes of Antigone are Oedipus, his sons Eteocles and Polygonik, two daughters Ismene and Antigone.

The story is about how brothers quarreled and started a war. Both died, but Polygoniks did not want to be buried, and then Antigone decided to disobey the new king Creon. She covered her brother's body with earth. As a result, she, her fiancé and the groom's mother died, and Creon is to blame for everything.

"Oedipus the King". The main characters are Oedipus, King Laius is his father, his mother is Queen Jocasta. Oedipus was destined to kill his father and marry his mother. The story ends with Oedipus stabbing himself with a needle in his eyes and going blind.

PSYCHOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT OF IMAGES IN THE TRAGEDIES OF EURIPIDES

The first play is “Peliod”. 22 participations and 4 victories. There were 18 tragedies, among them “Medea”, “Orestes”, “Helen”, “Iphigenia in Aulis”, “Hecuba”, “The Bacchae”, etc.

Euripides' themes:

the Peloponnesian War, during which he lived;

Politics, ambivalence towards democracy;

Slavery, the plight of slaves, which suppresses good human qualities.

Criticism of Greek marriage from a woman (impossibility of leaving her husband, marriage at the insistence of parents);

Women's right to education.

The work of Euripides took place almost simultaneously with the activities of Sophocles, although in a completely different direction.

Euripides deprives the gods of greatness and brings their actions closer to life. Accuses of immorality. He believes that if they commit shamelessness, they are not gods.

New from Euripides:

Euripides' tragedies begin with a prologue in the form of a monologue, which contains the plot premises;

- dialogues as speech competitions ,

- the chorus is not so closely linked to the action.

Psychologism of Euripides:

Expert in female psychology;

Shows people as they are, without embellishment;

Delves into psychological analysis personalities;

The conflict is not between people, but in the human soul.

Works of Euripides marks the end of the old heroic tragedy. Going to images of people, « what they really are“, i.e. with their personal inclinations and passions that deviate them from the norm of “ought”, Euripides indicated two directions, according to which serious Greek drama subsequently developed. This, on the one hand, - path of pathetic drama, strong, sometimes even pathological passions, and on the other hand - approaching everyday drama with everyday characters.

Composition

He came from a noble Athenian family and grew up in Eleusis, the oldest religious and cult center of Attica. Took part in all the most important battles period of the Greco-Persian wars. Aeschylus first appeared as a playwright in 500 BC, won his first victory in the competition of tragic poets in 484, after which he won first place 12 more times. Died in Sicily. Aeschylus wrote at least 80 plays, which were well known back in the 2nd-3rd centuries AD. But only 7 tragedies survived in their entirety. For 5 of them, the time of production is attested by ancient sources: “The Persians” (472), “Seven against Thebes” (467), “Agamemnon”, “Choephori” and “Eumenides”, which make up the trilogy “Oresteia” (458 .).

The dramaturgy of Aeschylus reflected the era of the establishment of Athenian democracy and the heroic-patriotic rise of the Athenians, which manifested itself in the Greco-Persian wars. At this time, the Athenians first realized themselves as a collective, united common interests. The rise of Athens was perceived by Aeschylus and his contemporaries as an act of divine justice, according to the laws of which the world exists.

Aeschylus's tendency to embrace reality on a large scale, to understand the laws of formation human society found direct reflection in literature artistic form his works. At least half of Aeschylus' tragedies were trilogies, united by unity of content. Aeschylus tried to trace the events and behavior of the heroes in development and dynamics.

Aeschylus's most important innovation was the introduction of a second actor, thanks to which a dramatic element was introduced into the tragedy and the opportunity was created for a conflictual opposition of the parties. At the end of his creative path Aeschylus, following the example of Sophocles, began to use a third actor. The tragedies of Aeschylus were staged in the ancient Greek theater in V-IV centuries BC.

According to Aristotle, Aeschylus creates new uniform tragedy. He "is the first to increase the number of actors from one to two and to give importance to the dialogue on stage." The actors, chorus and audience in Aeschylus are connected by a single thread of what is happening. The audience participates in the play, expressing approval of the characters or indignation at their actions. The dialogue between the two actors is often accompanied by murmurs, screams of horror, or crying from the audience. The chorus in Aeschylus's tragedy becomes the spokesman for the thoughts and feelings of the characters and even the audience themselves. What only vaguely arises in their souls under the influence of what is happening on stage suddenly acquires clear outlines and harmony in the wise remarks of the choir.

Aeschylus is credited with many other, simpler theatrical innovations. For example, buskins - shoes with high wooden soles, luxurious clothes, as well as improvement of the tragic mask with the help of a special horn to amplify the sound. Psychologically, all these tricks: increasing height and strengthening the sound of the voice were designed to create an environment befitting the appearance of gods and heroes.

He had an amazing ability in a separate, particular case to see not just an episode in a chain of events, but its connection with the spiritual world and with the very fate that governs people and the Universe. His tragedies have the rare property of always remaining above triviality Everyday life and even bring into it something from the Higher reality. In this art the followers will not be able to compare with Aeschylus. They will invariably descend to earth, into the human world. And their gods and heroes will be so similar to ordinary people with their passions and desires, that we can hardly recognize them as the mysterious inhabitants of the Other Reality. With Aeschylus, everything, absolutely everything, is shrouded in mystery, fanned by the Breath of what stands above people.

Tragedy before Aeschylus still contained too few dramatic elements and retained a close connection with lyric poetry from which it arose. It was dominated by choir songs, and could not yet reproduce genuine dramatic conflict. All roles were played by one actor, and therefore a meeting between two characters could never be shown. Only the introduction of a second actor made it possible to dramatize the action. This important change was made by Aeschylus. That is why it is customary to consider him the founder of the tragic genre.

Aeschylus introduced another independent actor (deuteragonist) into the tragedy. This innovation shortened the choir parts and expanded the dialogues, thanks to which the development of the action was enlivened. It is believed that it was Aeschylus who came up with the idea of ​​using rich costumes, masks, and stage effects with the help of technical devices. He introduced into his works a large number of dances for which he himself created the music and invented the movements.

“Chained Prometheus” The old myths, already known to us from Hesiod, about the change of generations of gods and people, about Prometheus, who stole fire from the sky for people, receive a new development from Aeschylus. Prometheus, one of the titans, that is, representatives of the “older generation” of gods, is a friend of humanity. In the fight between Zeus and the Titans, Prometheus took part on the side of Zeus; but when Zeus, after defeating the Titans, set out to destroy the human race and replace it with a new generation, Prometheus opposed this. He brought heavenly fire to people and awakened them to conscious life.

Writing and arithmetic, crafts and sciences - all these are Prometheus' gifts to people. Aeschylus thus abandons the idea of ​​a former “golden age” and the subsequent deterioration of conditions human life. For the services rendered to people, he is doomed to suffer. The prologue of the tragedy depicts how the blacksmith god Hephaestus, by order of Zeus, chains Prometheus to a rock; Hephaestus is accompanied by two allegorical figures - Power and Violence. Zeus opposes Prometheus only with brute force. All nature sympathizes with the suffering of Prometheus; when at the end of the tragedy Zeus, irritated by the inflexibility of Prometheus, sends a storm and Prometheus, along with the rock, falls into the underworld, the chorus of nymphs Oceanids (daughters of the Ocean) is ready to share his fate with him.

From the tragedy of the 5th century. The works of the three most significant representatives of the genre have been preserved - Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides. Each of these names marks a historical stage in the development of the Attic tragedy, which consistently reflected three stages in the history of Athenian democracy.

Aeschylus, the poet of the era of the formation of the Athenian state and the Greco-Persian wars, is the founder of ancient tragedy in its established forms, the true “father of tragedy” creative genius enormous realistic power, revealing with the help of mythological images historical content that great revolution of which he was a contemporary - the emergence of a democratic state from a tribal society.

Biographical information about Aeschylus, as well as about the vast majority of ancient writers in general, is very scarce. He was born in 525/4 in Eleusis and came from a noble landowning family. In his youth, he witnessed the overthrow of tyranny in Athens, the establishment of a democratic system and the successful struggle of the Athenian people against the intervention of aristocratic communities. was a supporter of a democratic state. This group played a significant role in Athens during the first decades of the 5th century. Aeschylus took a personal part in the fight against the Persians; the outcome of the war strengthened his conviction in the superiority of the democratic freedom of Athens over the monarchical principle underlying Persian despotism (the tragedy of “The Persians”). was a "pronounced tendentious poet." Further democratization of the Athenian political system in the 60s. V century Aeschylus already causes concern for the fate of Athens (the Oresteia trilogy). Aeschylus died in the Sicilian city of Gela in 456/5.

even adheres to the ancient idea of ​​​​hereditary clan responsibility: the guilt of the ancestor falls on the descendants, entangles them with its fatal consequences and leads to inevitable death. On the other hand, the gods of Aeschylus become guardians of the legal foundations of the new state system; Aeschylus depicts how divine retribution is introduced into the natural course of things. The relationship between divine influence and the conscious behavior of people, the meaning of the paths and goals of this influence, the question of its justice and goodness constitute the main problematic of Aeschylus, which he develops in the depiction of human fate and human suffering.

Heroic tales serve as material for Aeschylus. He himself called his tragedies “crumbs from the great feasts of Homer,” meaning, of course, not only the Iliad and the Odyssey, but the entire set of epic poems attributed to Homer. “Aeschylus was the first to increase the number of actors from one to two, reduce the chorus parts and give primacy to the dialogue.” In other words, tragedy ceased to be a cantata, one of the branches of mimetic choral lyricism, and began to turn into drama. In pre-Aeschylean tragedy, the story of a single actor about what was happening behind the stage and his dialogue with the luminary served only as a pretext for the lyrical outpourings of the chorus. Thanks to the introduction of a second actor, it became possible to enhance the dramatic action by contrasting the contending forces with each other, and to characterize one character by his reaction to the messages or actions of another. Ancient scholars counted 90 dramatic works (tragedies and satyr dramas) in the literary heritage of Aeschylus; Only seven tragedies have been preserved in their entirety, including one complete trilogy. Of the surviving plays, the earliest is “Petitioners” (“Pleading”). Very typical of the early type of tragedy are “The Persians,” staged in 472 and part of a trilogy that was not connected by a thematic unity. This tragedy is significant for two reasons: firstly, being an independent play, it contains its problems in a complete form; secondly, the plot of "The Persians", drawn not from mythology, but from recent history, allows us to judge how Aeschylus processed the material in order to make a tragedy out of it

“Seven Against Thebes” is the first Greek tragedy known to us in which the actor’s parts decisively prevail over the choral part, and, at the same time, the first tragedy in which a vivid image of the hero is given. There are no other images in the play; the second actor was used" for the role of the messenger. The beginning of the tragedy is no longer the performance of the choir.” and the acting scene, prologue.

The most important topic is devoted to the problem of the tragic fate of the family. later work Aeschylus, "Oresteia" (458), the only complete trilogy that has come down to us. Already in its dramatic structure, “The Oresteia” is much more complex than previous tragedies: it uses a third actor, introduced by Aeschylus’s young rival Sophocles, and a new stage arrangement - with a backdrop depicting a palace, and with a proscenium...

tragedy “Chained Prometheus” The old myths, already known to us from Hesiod, about the change of generations of gods and people, about Prometheus, who stole fire from the sky for people, receive a new development from Aeschylus. Prometheus, one of the titans, that is, representatives of the “older generation” of gods, is a friend of humanity. In the fight between Zeus and the Titans, Prometheus took part on the side of Zeus; but when Zeus, after defeating the Titans, set out to destroy the human race and replace it with a new generation, Prometheus opposed this. He brought heavenly fire to people and awakened them to conscious life.

Writing and arithmetic, crafts and sciences - all these are Prometheus’ gifts to people. Aeschylus thus abandons the idea of ​​a former “golden age” and the subsequent deterioration of human conditions. For the services rendered to people, he is doomed to suffer. The prologue of the tragedy depicts how the blacksmith god Hephaestus, by order of Zeus, chains Prometheus to a rock; Hephaestus is accompanied by two allegorical figures - Power and Violence. Zeus opposes Prometheus only with brute force. All nature sympathizes with the suffering of Prometheus; when at the end of the tragedy Zeus, irritated by the inflexibility of Prometheus, sends a storm and Prometheus, along with the rock, falls into the underworld, the chorus of nymphs Oceanids (daughters of the Ocean) is ready to share his fate with him. In Marx's words, "the confession of Prometheus:

In truth, I hate all gods

eat her [i.e. e. philosophy] its own recognition, its own saying, directed against all heavenly and earthly gods.”

The surviving tragedies make it possible to outline three stages in the work of Aeschylus, which at the same time are stages in the formation of tragedy as a dramatic genre. The early plays (“Suppliants”, “Persians”) are characterized by a predominance of choral parts, little use of a second actor, poor development of dialogue, and abstract images. The middle period includes such works as “Seven Against Thebes” and “Prometheus Bound”. Here a central image of the hero appears, characterized by several main features; the dialogue gets more developed, prologues are created; The images of episodic figures (“Prometheus”) also become clearer. The third stage is represented by the Oresteia, with its more complex composition, increasing drama, numerous secondary characters and the use of three actors.

Question No. 12. Aeschylus. Ideological and artistic features of creativity. In Aeschylus, elements of the traditional worldview are closely intertwined with attitudes generated by democratic statehood. He believes in the real existence of divine forces that influence man and often insidiously lay snares for him. Aeschylus even adheres to the ancient idea of ​​​​hereditary clan responsibility: the guilt of the ancestor falls on the descendants, entangles them with its fatal consequences and leads to inevitable death. Heroic tales serve as material for Aeschylus. He himself called his tragedies “crumbs from the great feasts of Homer,” meaning, of course, not only the Iliad and the Odyssey, but the entire set attributed to “Homer” epic poems, i.e. “kickle” Aeschylus most often depicts the fate of a hero or heroic family in three successive tragedies that make up a plot-wise and ideologically integral trilogy; it is followed by a satyr drama based on a plot from the same mythological cycle to which the trilogy belonged. However, borrowing plots from the epic, Aeschylus not only dramatizes the legends, but also reinterprets them and imbues them with his own problems. From the tragedies of Aeschylus it is clear that the poet was a supporter of a democratic state, although he belonged to a conservative group within democracy. Ancient scholars counted 90 dramatic works (tragedies and satyr dramas) in the literary heritage of Aeschylus; Only seven tragedies have been preserved in their entirety, including one complete trilogy. In addition, 72 plays are known to us by their titles, from which it is usually clear what mythological material was developed in the play; their fragments, however, are few in number and small in size.