Page:Measuring Euripides.djvu/23

 to analyze the mental pabulum put before him by Euripides. This mental diet is of a limited and simple, one might almost say elementary and primitive sort. But it is an intellectual diet, whereas the appeal of modern drama has come to be so exclusively in its plot, action, acting, scenery and facial expression that most of it can be transferred to the moving picture screen and there presented—to the complete satisfaction of the multitude—without anything being said by the actors, much less thought,—with all reflections upon life and death, ethics and politics, society and sex, completely eliminated.

Euripides, on the contrary, was known in antiquity as "the scenic philosopher." Clement of Alexandria, a Christian writing about 200 A. D., exclaims, "Worthy indeed of the Socratic school is Euripides, who fixes his eye on truth, and despises the spectators of his plays." It would be truer, however, to say—"And educates the spectators of his plays." Even Aristophanes admits this, though he dislikes Euripides' teaching and deplores its popularity. Euripides, in fine, not only revealed the thought of his age, he helped to form the thought of the future.

LYNN THORNDIKE.