Brilliant Minds Wiki Spring 2016 Contents 1 Rigveda 1 1.1 Text .................................................... 1 1.1.1 Organization ........................................... 2 1.1.2 Recensions ............................................ 2 1.1.3 Rishis ............................................... 3 1.1.4 Manuscripts ............................................ 3 1.1.5 Analytics ............................................. 3 1.2 Contents .................................................. 4 1.2.1 Rigveda Brahmanas ........................................ 5 1.2.2 Rigveda Aranyakas and Upanishads ............................... 5 1.3 Dating and historical context ....................................... 5 1.4 Medieval Hindu scholarship ........................................ 7 1.5 Contemporary Hinduism ......................................... 7 1.5.1 Atheism, Monotheism, Monism, Polytheism debate ....................... 7 1.5.2 Mistranslations, misinterpretations debate ............................ 8 1.5.3 “Indigenous Aryans” debate .................................... 8 1.5.4 Arya Samaj and Aurobindo movements .............................. 8 1.6 Translations ................................................ 8 1.7 See also .................................................. 8 1.8 Notes ................................................... 8 1.9 References ................................................. 9 1.10 Bibliography ................................................ 12 1.11 External links ............................................... 13 2 Oresteia 15 2.1 Agamemnon ................................................ 15 2.1.1 Introduction ............................................ 15 2.1.2 Storyline ............................................. 15 2.2 The Libation Bearers ............................................ 16 2.2.1 Introduction ............................................ 16 i ii CONTENTS 2.2.2 Storyline ............................................. 16 2.2.3 References in other Greek dramas ................................ 17 2.3 The Eumenides ............................................... 17 2.3.1 Introduction ............................................ 17 2.3.2 Storyline ............................................. 17 2.4 Proteus ................................................... 18 2.5 Analysis and themes ............................................ 18 2.5.1 Social progress and justice .................................... 18 2.5.2 Philos-aphilos ........................................... 19 2.6 Adaptations ................................................ 19 2.7 See also .................................................. 19 2.8 Translations ................................................ 20 2.9 Notes ................................................... 20 2.10 References ................................................. 21 2.11 External links ............................................... 21 3 Aeschylus 22 3.1 Life .................................................... 22 3.2 Personal life ................................................ 23 3.3 Works ................................................... 23 3.3.1 Trilogies .............................................. 24 3.4 Surviving plays .............................................. 24 3.4.1 The Persians ........................................... 24 3.4.2 Seven against Thebes ....................................... 25 3.4.3 The Suppliants ........................................... 25 3.4.4 The Oresteia ............................................ 25 3.4.5 Prometheus Bound ........................................ 26 3.5 Lost plays ................................................. 26 3.5.1 Myrmidons ............................................ 26 3.5.2 Nereids .............................................. 26 3.5.3 Phrygians, or Hector’s Ransom .................................. 27 3.5.4 Niobe ............................................... 27 3.6 Influence ................................................. 27 3.6.1 Influence on Greek drama and culture .............................. 27 3.6.2 Influence outside of Greek culture ................................ 27 3.7 See also .................................................. 28 3.8 Notes ................................................... 28 3.9 Citations .................................................. 28 3.10 Editions .................................................. 29 CONTENTS iii 3.11 References ................................................ 29 3.12 External links ............................................... 30 4 Mabinogion 31 4.1 Etymology ................................................. 32 4.2 Translations ................................................ 32 4.3 Date of stories ............................................... 32 4.4 Stories ................................................... 33 4.4.1 Four Branches of the Mabinogi .................................. 33 4.4.2 Native tales ............................................ 33 4.4.3 Romances ............................................. 33 4.5 Adaptations ................................................ 34 4.6 See also .................................................. 34 4.7 References ................................................. 34 4.8 External links ............................................... 36 5 Four Branches of the Mabinogi 37 5.1 Overview ................................................. 37 5.2 The Branches ............................................... 38 5.2.1 First branch: Pwyll, Prince of Dyfed ............................... 38 5.2.2 Second Branch: Branwen, Daughter of Llŷr ........................... 38 5.2.3 Third Branch: Manawydan, son of Llŷr .............................. 39 5.2.4 Fourth Branch: Math, son of Mathonwy ............................. 39 5.3 Resources ................................................. 40 5.3.1 Introductory ............................................ 40 5.3.2 Key Resources for Study ..................................... 40 5.3.3 Welsh sources ........................................... 40 5.3.4 Translations into English ..................................... 41 5.3.5 Modern Interpretations ...................................... 41 5.4 References ................................................. 42 6 One Thousand and One Nights 43 6.1 Synopsis .................................................. 43 6.2 History: versions and translations ..................................... 44 6.2.1 Possible Indian origins ...................................... 44 6.2.2 Persian prototype: Hazār Afsān .................................. 45 6.2.3 Arabic versions .......................................... 45 6.2.4 Modern translations ........................................ 46 6.2.5 Timeline ............................................. 47 iv CONTENTS 6.3 Literary themes and techniques ...................................... 48 6.3.1 Frame story ............................................ 49 6.3.2 Embedded narrative ........................................ 49 6.3.3 Dramatic visualization ...................................... 49 6.3.4 Fate and destiny .......................................... 49 6.3.5 Foreshadowing .......................................... 50 6.3.6 Repetition ............................................. 50 6.3.7 Sexual humour .......................................... 51 6.3.8 Unreliable narrator ........................................ 51 6.3.9 Crime fiction elements ...................................... 51 6.3.10 Horror fiction elements ...................................... 52 6.3.11 Fantasy and science fiction elements ............................... 52 6.3.12 The Arabic poetry in One Thousand and One Nights ....................... 53 6.4 In world culture .............................................. 53 6.4.1 In Arabic culture ......................................... 54 6.4.2 Possible early influence on European literature .......................... 54 6.4.3 Western literature from the 18th century onwards ........................ 54 6.4.4 Cinema .............................................. 55 6.4.5 Music ............................................... 56 6.4.6 Video games ........................................... 56 6.4.7 Illustrators ............................................. 56 6.5 Gallery ................................................... 56 6.6 See also .................................................. 56 6.7 Notes ................................................... 57 6.8 Sources .................................................. 59 6.9 Further reading .............................................. 60 6.10 External links ............................................... 60 7 Hamlet 61 7.1 Characters ................................................. 62 7.2 Plot .................................................... 62 7.3 Sources .................................................. 64 7.4 Date .................................................... 66 7.5 Texts .................................................... 66 7.6 Analysis and criticism ........................................... 68 7.6.1 Critical history .......................................... 68 7.6.2 Dramatic structure ........................................ 68 7.6.3 Language ............................................. 68 7.7 Context and interpretation ......................................... 69 CONTENTS v 7.7.1 Religious ............................................. 69 7.7.2 Philosophical ..........................................