Sophocles

The nature available to Sophocles (Greek world, customs, religion, political conditions) differs from the nature available to Shakespeare (his own historical world, customs, language, traditions).

Shakespeare's drama was necessarily different from Sophocles' drama because the historical, political, religious, and cultural conditions Shakespeare inhabited had fundamentally changed from those of ancient Greece.

Drama must truthfully represent the world available to the dramatist.

Modern cultural and theatrical conditions differ substantially from those of ancient Greece.

The best art of different times and places must differ superficially because at the deepest level all great art is committed to the same principle—the truthful imitation of nature—but has different natures to imitate.

Artistic conventions are natural when they match the conditions—worldview, customs, political structures, religion—of the culture that produced them.

The Greek world of view, customs, republican politics, heroic traditions, religion, music, and expression changed substantially by Shakespeare's time.

The dramatic unities of time, place, and action were not artificial constraints for the Greeks, though they would be artificial for modern dramatists.

The unities of time, place, and action matched Greek cultural and theatrical conditions.

Doing the same thing (truthfully representing one's own world) in different worlds necessarily produces different-looking results.

Shakespeare was doing fundamentally the same thing as Sophocles despite producing superficially different drama.

The theater of Sophocles and the theater of Shakespeare are both committed to the truthful imitation of nature.

Shakespeare created drama out of his own world's history, spirit of the age, customs, views, language, national attitudes, traditions, and pastimes.

Shakespeare, unlike the French classicists, was committed to representing his own world truthfully rather than imitating Greek forms artificially.

Sophocles created drama out of his own world's history, customs, traditions, and spirit.

Truthful representation of different natures necessarily produces superficially different art forms.

Drama must truthfully represent the world available to the dramatist.

The best art of different times and places must differ superficially because at the deepest level all great art is committed to the same principle—the truthful imitation of nature—but has different natures to imitate.

Doing the same thing (truthfully representing one's own world) in different worlds necessarily produces different-looking results.

Shakespeare was doing fundamentally the same thing as Sophocles despite producing superficially different drama.