TY - JOUR
T1 - Therapeutic tragedy
T2 - Compassion, remorse, and reconciliation in the Joseph plays of Joost van den Vondel (1635-1640)
AU - Sierhuis, F.
PY - 2010/2/1
Y1 - 2010/2/1
N2 - In the years 1635-1640, Vondel wrote three tragedies based on the biblical story of Joseph. Traditionally, Neostoicism has been viewed as the key to this play that, it is argued, brings Joseph onto the stage as the personification of wise, just and merciful regent. Stoic psychology, based on the axiom that passions are erroneous judgements that need to be corrected by reason, however, poses problems for the interpretation of what are, unmistakeably, deeply passionate plays. Examining Vondel's attempt to create a new biblical poetics, this paper shows how tragic knowledge is the outcome of a complex psychagogic process involving the person of the spectator in its entirety, working on the passions to effect a change of heart. Vondel harnessed the idea of tragedy as a drama of conversion into the service of his irenicist ideals, insisting on the need for the rehabilitation of the exiled statesman Grotius, as well pleading for peace among the warring factions of divided Christianity - the larger irenicist project that animates so much of his poetry in this period.
AB - In the years 1635-1640, Vondel wrote three tragedies based on the biblical story of Joseph. Traditionally, Neostoicism has been viewed as the key to this play that, it is argued, brings Joseph onto the stage as the personification of wise, just and merciful regent. Stoic psychology, based on the axiom that passions are erroneous judgements that need to be corrected by reason, however, poses problems for the interpretation of what are, unmistakeably, deeply passionate plays. Examining Vondel's attempt to create a new biblical poetics, this paper shows how tragic knowledge is the outcome of a complex psychagogic process involving the person of the spectator in its entirety, working on the passions to effect a change of heart. Vondel harnessed the idea of tragedy as a drama of conversion into the service of his irenicist ideals, insisting on the need for the rehabilitation of the exiled statesman Grotius, as well pleading for peace among the warring factions of divided Christianity - the larger irenicist project that animates so much of his poetry in this period.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=77949890529&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/13507480903511918
DO - 10.1080/13507480903511918
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:77949890529
SN - 1350-7486
VL - 17
SP - 27
EP - 51
JO - European Review of History
JF - European Review of History
IS - 1
ER -