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The dialogue with antiquity beginning from the Renaisance and continuing up to the present, in the theatre is demonstrated in the field of acting with the revival of the greek ancient drama and in the field of play-writing dramaturgy with the various forms of Greek ancient myths as presented in the texts of modem play writes. These forms signal the prospects of every era and determine its particular purposes, so that both the the transition and the interpretation and of ancient myths, reflect the demands and the needs of every era . In Greek dramaturgy, the use of the tragic myth is inaugurated by Ifigenia of the kefalonian Petros katsaitis, in 1720 , while in interwar period a more systematic connection is being attempted. At the same time, the requests for the revival of ancient drama, are satisfyingly promoted .However, the dialogue of the modem Greek dramaturgists with the mythical past, brings about more creative results especially after the second world war, where we come across the emergence of notable drama texts in which the tragic characters appear clearly differentiated from their tragic past. The present paper, concerns the use of the Danaides myth by three Greek writers. Although, the ancient myth of Danaides, had been used many times by European writers, it had been used a few times by Greek ones. The paradox is that both, Andreas Kalvos and Margarita Liberakis wrote their play initially in Italian and in French language respectively. The ancient myth, is presented in several versions and mainly in the lost tetra logy of Aeschylus’s Danaides from which only the part of Suppliants tradegy survives and few verses from the other plays, from which we are not capable of drawing reliable conclusions. Generally speaking, the myth is this: The Danaides, Danao’s daughters come to Argos from Egypt with their father being persecuted by their cousins the Egyptians, who want to marry them. The Nymphs manage to be received by the king of Argos and they settle in. After a process, which varies in the different versions of the myth and includes battle and compromise with the Egyptians, Danaides accept to marry their cousins but promise their father to kill their husbands during the first night of their marriage. Only Ypermnistra is disobedient because she is in love with Lygeas. Regarding Ypermnistra’s fate, exist plenty of versions Kalvos being in Florence, from 1811 tol816 as a secretary of his compatriot Zakynthinian poet, Foskolos, wrote three tragedies in Italian language. From this, series of tragedies, Danaides which Kalvos wrote in 1815 and printed in 1818 in London is the most elaborate play regarding its form and content. In this play, Kalvos demonstrates his more established touch of writing, more lively action, interesting plot and dramatic interest. The writer had been influenced by the famous Italian dramatist Alfieri, who represented the political Liberalism. Additionally, the same period, Foscolus was writing tragedies inspired with themes of Greek antiquity. The division of the Danaides play, into five acts responding to the five-act structure of the Italian neoclassical play, is achieved with the intervention of chorus that preface the tragedy and concludes every act of the play. Following the Aristotelian rule action is condensed within a space of twenty four hours. Kalvos focuses on the domineering personality of Danaos father and the dilemma of her daughter Ypermnistra, between love and paternal affection. The connection of the 18th century neoclassical tradition with the movement of romanticism that Kalvos attempts to include in Danaides, is perhaps his first test in this field. This novelty, will be concluded in his play called Odes, which he had written in 1824 to 1826. The second play belongs to the Kefalonean writer Livadas, written around 1930. It had been totally unknown until today, when the writer’s daughter gave me the manuscript of it. As motives for his writing he mentions the presentation of Aescylous Suppliants in the Delphean rituals around 1930.( It is about the much- discussed performance of the Sikelianos couple from Zakynthos), his strong belief that Greek Literature must be inspired by the etemall greek tradition, the studies of Bamadakis and the other modem European and Greek scholars about the ancient tradegy. .ontrary to Kalvos playwrite, which ends with the murder of the Egyptians and Ypermnistra’s slaughter by her father, this one expands into the whole range of the myth following Danaides’ punishment at Hades, where they fill with water a bottomless storage jar, the famous Danaides jar. The writer focuses on the wedding ceremony, the Egyptians slaughter and the punishment of the guilty ones. This play, is full of strict archaism, excessive love for antiquity, pedancy and a christiancentral moralistic point of view.
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