Poetics of Feelings in Seneca’s tragedies

The dissertation analyzes the expression of feelings in Seneca’s tragedies. This is the first research paper in Lithuania dedicated to Senecan dramas. The dissertation author looks for the links between Seneca’s philosophical works and poetic principles in his dramas. The paper focuses on the theoretical analyses of anger, fear, affection, jealousy, shame and guilt in Senecan and other Stoics’ philosophical works, and how these feelings are revealed in tragedies, characters’ experiences and motivations for their actions. The research has been performed applying the phenomenological method in the analysis of eight Senecan tragedies and their characters’ feelings. The comparative method has been applied while comparing Seneca’s tragedies among themselves and also to their Greek prototypes. The dissertation author has also applied the hermeneutical method in her research of poetical devices used to describe the Senecan characters’ feelings and in interpretation of the meaning and significance of expression of such feelings to the audience of the tragedies. The dissertation author discloses that Seneca deliberately hyperbolizes his characters’ feelings revealing the awfulness of their passions in order to shock his audience so that after realizing the dreadful outcome of such passions they would try to control them, recognize their feelings and false convictions and opinions causing them. The research results also disclose very clear links between Senecan dramas and his philosophical works. The research results may be used as a basis or comparative material for further research of Renaissance and Baroque dramas, because Senecan tragedies have made a tremendous impact on drama and theatre development in Europe and Lithuania