First published in 1953, Tragedy and the Paradox of the Fortunate Fall argues that our response to tragedy is made up of a series of responses: the impact of experience which produces the archetypes of belief; the formation of the archetype of rebirth; the crystallization of the archetype of rebirth in the myth and ritual of the ancient Near East; the transformation of myth and ritual in the religions of the ancient world, including Christianity; the formalization of the archetype of rebirth into the concept of felix culpa, the paradox of the fortunate fall and finally the secular utilization of the paradox of the fortunate fall as the substance out of which tragedy is made. This book will be of interest to students of literature, philosophy and history.
Acknowledgments Introduction 1. The Psychology of the Paradox of the Fortunate Fall 2. The Origin of the Paradox of the Fortunate Fall in Myth and Ritual 3. The Paradox of the Fortunate Fall in the Ancient Near East 4. The Myth and Ritual Pattern in the Mediterranean Area 5. The Paradox of the Fortunate Fall in Hebrew Thought 6. The Paradox of the Fortunate Fall in Christian Thought 7. The Theory of Tragedy Conclusion Bibliography of Works Cited Index
Biography
Herbert Weisinger
