The Philosophy of Fine Art, volume 1 (of 4): Hegel's Aesthetik — Georg Hegel — John Shaqi
The Philosophy of Fine Art, volume 1 (of 4): Hegel's Aesthetik
Georg Hegel · en
(_ββ_) Further, inasmuch as in the cases we are now discussing the
conflict arises from a _spiritual_ violation of spiritual forces
through human action, the collision more generally appropriate to
the type will consist in a violation which is perpetrated with full
consciousness _proceeding out of such_ and the intention it implies.
The point of departure here may centre again in passion, violence,
folly, and other similar qualities. The Trojan war, for example,
originates in the rape of Helen. Agamemnon afterwards sacrifices
Iphigenia, and so violates the feelings of her mother, slaying thus the
darling of her womb. Clytemnestra, in consequence, murders her spouse.
Orestes avenges the murder of his father and king by assassinating his
mother. In a similar way in "Hamlet" the father is sent to his grave by
a stratagem, and the mother of Hamlet insults the _manes_ of the dead
man by a precipitate marriage with his murderer.
In the case of these collisions as in those already considered, the
main point is this, that humanity is engaged in a self-imposed conflict
with what is intrinsically moral, true, and worthy of reverence. If
this is not so, then, for all who are really conscious of what is moral
and right, such a conflict can only appear without worth or material
significance, as is the case, for example, in the famous episode of the
Mahâ-Bhârata, with reference to Nalas and Damayanti. King Nalas marries
the princess Damayanti, who is allowed the privilege of making a free
choice among her sisters. All the other suitors are genii floating in
the air; Nalas stands on the Earth alone as a man, and she has the good
sense to select him. The genii are consequently much enraged, and watch
for the moment when they may find King Nalas tripping. For many years
they can bring to his charge no offence, as he is capable of none.
At last, however, they obtain power over him, for he commits a great
crime; the crime is this, namely, that after making water, he treads
with his foot upon the earth thus watered. According to Indian ideas
this is a severe offence which cannot escape punishment. From that
moment the genii have him in their power; one renders all his amatory
desires abortive, another excites his brother against him, and finally
poor Nalas, after forfeiting his throne and being reduced to beggary,
is driven forth a wanderer in wretchedness with Damayanti. At length
he is even compelled to part with her, until, as the tale will have
it, after many adventures, he is once more set on the throne of his
original happiness. The real conflict upon which for the Indians of old
days the whole of this story was supported was an essential desecration
of a sacred thing: according to our notions the tale is absurd from
beginning to end.