2001 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
A STUDY ON ACCEPTANCE OF DEATH IN GREEK TRAGEDY
| Project/Area Number |
10610535
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Research Field |
文学一般(含文学論・比較文学)・西洋古典
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| Research Institution | Nagoya University |
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Principal Investigator |
YOSHITAKE Sumio UNIVERSITY,GRADUATE SCHOOL OF LETTERS / ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, 文学研究科, 助教授 (70254729)
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| Project Period (FY) |
1998 – 2000
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| Keywords | DEATH / THANATOS / KALOS / DEATH IN WAR / ANTIGONE / GREEK TRAGEDY / KALOS THANATOS / BEAUTIFUL DEATH |
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| Research Abstract |
There are many scenes of Greek Tragedy in which characters accept death. There is certain difference of the conditions of accepting death between males and females. It is remarkable that females are less favoured by chance of attaining a good death than males, while most of them both try to attain it. This fact is symbolised in the death of the heroin of the Antigone. She buries her brother in the belief that she can attain a kalos thanatos (a beautiful death) without fail as a result of this act, but eventually she cannot attain it in the prison where she hangs herself. This reflects the fact that women werer not entitled to kalos thanatos in their days. Up to the age of Greek Tragedy death had not been described as kalos if it was not a death in battle. Kalos thanatos had been defined in the 7cBC by Tyrtaios as 'a death died while combatting on the front', and any death had not been claimed to be good in the objective and absolute sense- at least. In the 5cBC, however, many tragedies questioned if a kalos thanatos was available without the warfare context. They did not give the answer in the affirmative.
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