Martyrdom And Redemption Analysis

The discussion of the theme of martyrdom and redemption through suffering in modern poetic dramas requires an investigation of the origin and the roots of martyrdom from earlier times. A historical perspective on the cosmological theme of birth and renewal is quite useful in this respect because the concept of martyrdom and sacrifice is as important in the pagan creed as it is in the recognized established human religions as Christianity and Islam. Drama and religious rituals went hand in hand in earlier stages of all civilizations. The art of drama, as all arts, was in its initial stages closely connected to religion.1 Aristotle in his Poetics says that drama emerged from the joys which people take in mimeses and that the blending of the developed mimetic actions with religion gave rise to rituals, and ritual, in turn to drama.2 Human sacrifices were characteristics of many early pagan religions.3 In the myths of the ancient Near East "the hero is slain, but his death, then, guarantees the revival of life."4 The category of ‘dying and rising gods’, according to James G. Frazer 5, applies to a
Dionysus was a vegetation spirit who used to die and reborn each year; he was associated not only with all kinds of rites which were designed to promote fertility but also with teaching about death, purgation and rebirth. 14 According to Greek Mythology, Dionysus' parents were the sky god and the earth mother and his name is simply ("Dios –the younger). He was left to his own devices, then mounted the sky throne to be destroyed and cut into pieces by titans; "the torn god dies only to live again and in his magical resurrection, his virtue is made manifest." 15 Dionysus was the subject of similar passion plays which were in fact dramatic dances known as Dithyramb 16 Greek tragedy, according to John Gassner, is "believed to be developed from the