Page:The thirty-six dramatic situations (1921).djvu/47

THIRTEENTH SITUATION 45 A — Hatred of Brothers: (1) — One Brother Hated by Several (the hatred not malignant': "The Heliades" of Aeschylus (motive, envy); "The Labors of Jacob," by Lope de Vega (motive, filial jealousy). Hated by a single brother: The "Phoenissae" of Euripides and of Seneca; "Polynices" by Alfieri (motive, tyrannical avarice); Byron's "Cain" (motive, religious jealousy); "Une Famille au Temps de Luther" by Delavigne (motive, religious dissent : "Le Duel" (Lavedan, 1905).

(2) — Reciprocal Hatred: — The "Seven Against Thebes," by Aeschylus, and "Les Freres Ennemis" by Racine (motive, greed for power); an admirable supplementary character is added in this Theban legend, the Mother, torn between the sons; "Thyestes II" of Sophocles; "Thyestes" of Seneca; the "Pelopides" by Voltaire; "Atreus and Thyestes" by Crebillon (motive, greed for power, the important role being that of the perfidious instigator).

(3) — Hatred Between Relatives for Reasons of Self-interest: — "La Maison d'Argile" Fabre, 1907). Example from fiction: "Mon Frere" (Mercereau).

B — Hatred of Father and Son: — (1) — Of the Son for the Father: — "Three Punishments in One," by Calderon. Historic example: Louis XI and Charles VII. A part of "La Terre" by Zola and of "Le Maitre" by Jean Jullien.

(2) — Mutual Hatred: — "Life is a Dream," by Calderon. Historic instance: Jerome and Victor Bonaparte (a reduction of hatred to simple disagreement). This nuance appears to me to In- our of the finest, although one of the least regarded by our writers.

(3) — Hatred of Daughter for Father: — "The Cenci," by Shelley (parricide as a means of escape from incest).

C — Hatred of Grandfather for Grandson: — Mestasio's "Cyrus;" the story of Amulius in the of Titus Livius (motive, tyrannical avarice). Hatred of uncle for nephew: "The Death Cansa," by Crichna Cavi. One of the facet of "Hamlet."

D — Hatred of Father-in-law for Son-in-law: — Aifieri's "Agis and Saul" (motive, tyrannical avarice).