Does the chorus show up in comedies or just the tragedies? I had one Greek drama course in college but it was forever ago (and we focused more on tragedies) so I don’t remember much.
I can’t remember any of the names in Greek, but basically all of the major archetypes and the central thrust of the story were there.
Danny Noonan is obviously the protagonist, the maturing hero. Judge Smails is the central antagonist with money and power. Rodney Dangerfield is the agrokyoy (or something similar), the lovable buffoon who stands in opposition to the antagonist, slowly setting up the central climax of the story by undoing his evil machinations at every turn. Lacey is the beguiling love interest who catches the eye of the hero. Spaulding Smails is the wretched and conniving antagonist who is ultimately powerless to impact the story in any way, mostly just serving as comic relief. Ty Webb is the wise figure who takes the protagonist under his wing and guides him throughout the story.
As the agrokyoy and the antagonist come increasingly into conflict, the protagonist, previously a trivial figure, must step in at the climax of the story and make a fateful choice that represents his coming of age and his own moral victory. Everyone defeats the antagonist, victory is at hand, and everyone leaves leaving only the chorus. Or, in this case, the gopher.
That sounds awesome. I really like the Greek myths, (I was even into them as a kid) but the course I took was kinda boring because it was a huge lecture course instead of a seminar. I mean, I’m glad a got a look at a large swath of material but it would’ve been more enjoyable digging deeper into a subset. And maybe the themes would’ve stuck better in my brain a little better too.
What was your main idea?
Does the chorus show up in comedies or just the tragedies? I had one Greek drama course in college but it was forever ago (and we focused more on tragedies) so I don’t remember much.
I can’t remember any of the names in Greek, but basically all of the major archetypes and the central thrust of the story were there.
Danny Noonan is obviously the protagonist, the maturing hero. Judge Smails is the central antagonist with money and power. Rodney Dangerfield is the agrokyoy (or something similar), the lovable buffoon who stands in opposition to the antagonist, slowly setting up the central climax of the story by undoing his evil machinations at every turn. Lacey is the beguiling love interest who catches the eye of the hero. Spaulding Smails is the wretched and conniving antagonist who is ultimately powerless to impact the story in any way, mostly just serving as comic relief. Ty Webb is the wise figure who takes the protagonist under his wing and guides him throughout the story.
As the agrokyoy and the antagonist come increasingly into conflict, the protagonist, previously a trivial figure, must step in at the climax of the story and make a fateful choice that represents his coming of age and his own moral victory. Everyone defeats the antagonist, victory is at hand, and everyone leaves leaving only the chorus. Or, in this case, the gopher.
Yep, Greek af
That was a pretty awesome analysis, I never would have thought to look at Caddyshack like that. Thanks for sharing!
That sounds awesome. I really like the Greek myths, (I was even into them as a kid) but the course I took was kinda boring because it was a huge lecture course instead of a seminar. I mean, I’m glad a got a look at a large swath of material but it would’ve been more enjoyable digging deeper into a subset. And maybe the themes would’ve stuck better in my brain a little better too.