Page:The thirty-six dramatic situations (1921).djvu/70

 : "Iphigenia in Aulis," by Euripides and by Racine. Historic examples: Cordus; Curtius; Latour d'Auvergne. For the Happiness of Ones People: — The "Suffering Christ" of St. Gregory Nazianzen.

(3) — Life Sacrificed in Filial Piety: — "The Phoenician Women" by Aeschylus; the "Antigones" of Sophocles and Euripides; of Alamanni and Alfieri.

(4) — Life Sacrificed for the Sake of Ones Faith: — "The Miracle of St. Ignace of Antioch" (XIV Century;) "Vive le Roi" (Han Rymer, 1911;) "Cesar Birotteau" (Fabre, after Balzac, 1911); "The Constant Prince" by Calderon; "Luther" by Werner. Familiar instances: all martyrs, whether to religion or science. In fiction: "L'Œuvre" by Zola. For the Sake of Ones King: — "L'Enfant du Temple" (de Pohles).

B (1) — Both Love and Life Sacrificed for Ones Faith: — "Polyeucte." In fiction "L'Evangeliste") sacrifice of family and future for ones faith).

(2) — Both Love and Life Sacrificed to a Cause: — "Les Fils de Jahel" (Mme. Armand, 1886).

(3) — Love Sacrificed to Interests of State: — This is the favorite motif of Corneille, as in "Othon," "Sertorius," "Sophonisbe," "Pulcherie," "Tite et Bérénice." Add to these the "Bérénice" of Racine and the "Sophonisbe" of Trissino, that of Alfieri and that of Mairet; Metastasio's "Achilles in Scyro" and his "Dido;" Berlioz' "Troyons" (the best tragedy of his century;) "L'Impératrice" (Mendes). The "Creditor" in this sub-class, remaining abstract, is easily confounded with the Ideal and the Hero; the "Persons Sacrificed," on the contrary, become visible; these are Plautine, Viriate, Syphax and Massinisse, Bérénice, Déidamie. In comedy: "S. A. R." (Chancel, 1908).

C — Sacrifice of Well-Being to Duty: "Resurrection" by Tolstoi; "L'Apprentie" (Geffroy, 1908).

D — The Ideal of "Honor" Sacrificed to the Ideal of "Faith;" — Two powerful examples, which for secondary reasons did not attain success (because the public ear was incapable of perceiving a harmony pitched so high in the scale of sentiment): "Theodore" by Corneille and "The Virgin Martyr" by Massinger. Partial example: the good hermit Abraham in Hroswitha.