Le rôle de la tragédie grecque dans la culture occidentale

The role of the Greek tragedy in Western culture Between the 7th and the 3rd centuries B.C., a series of political, economic and social transformations spurred the transition from Antique to Ancient Greece. The latter is no longer organized around myths, religions and aristocracy, because these will respectively be replaced by the emergence of a literature, an artistic culture and a more egalitarian style of governance, even though the term democracy is anachronistic. The purpose of this article is to analyze the birth and the characteristics of Greek tragedy. Greek tragedy will be examined as a social reality, an aesthetic creation and a psychological realization. The conclusions of this article will demonstrate that the emergence of the Greek tragedy constitutes the extension of social, philosophical and psychological mutations taking place in Ancient Greece. Greek tragedy also delineates the conceptual framework of Western culture. More importantly, it contains within itself the seeds of future cultural renaissances.