The Bizarre Demise of Aeschylus: A Playwright's Comically Tragic End 🦅🐢🎭
By Jude Obuseh
Aeschylus, the revered progenitor of Greek tragedy, holds a prominent place in the annals of literature. His surviving works stand as early examples of this dramatic art form, where characters often meet their demise through ironic twists of fate. Yet, when it came to Aeschylus himself, fate had a rather unexpected sense of humor.
Aeschylus' life story takes an astonishing turn, veering closer to comedy than tragedy. During his return to Gela in Sicily, the playwright met an end that would baffle even the most imaginative dramatists. How did he meet his demise, you ask? Well, it involved an eagle and a tortoise.
As the tale goes, Aeschylus was walking outside the city when an eagle appeared in the sky, clutching a tortoise in its talons. The bird, in its misguided wisdom, mistook the shining expanse of Aeschylus's bald head for a sturdy rock and decided to use it as a makeshift anvil.
With startling precision, the eagle released the tortoise, intending to crack open its shell upon impact. The unexpected and absurd end came when the tortoise, propelled by the eagle's talons, plummeted directly onto Aeschylus's head.
The comically tragic event unfolded, leaving us to wonder why none of his fellow playwrights penned a drama around this peculiar twist of fate. The great Aeschylus, whose tragedies still echo through time, met his own demise in a way that defied the conventions of both comedy and tragedy. 🤣🦅💥
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