Classics. n.

1. An artist, author, or work generally considered to be of the highest rank or excellence, especially one of enduring significance.
2. A work recognized as definitive in its field.

A course in medieval literature does lead one to ponder: why bother reading such dusty old stories? There’s no way this Dark Ages stuff could mean anything to the modern reader.  Surely the New York Times Bestseller list offers more interesting and timely fare.

Let’s take a look at a few of my favorite classics.

Erec of King Arthur’s Court
In the second half of the 12th century AD, Chrétien de Troyes described Erec as a knight of great renown.

Erec is quite popular at court and things are going pretty darn well for him. But he runs into a serious conflict when he falls in love with and marries the beautiful young Enide. Erec isn’t able to keep his knightly skills razor sharp because he prefers to spend most of his days in bed with his new wife. Erec wants both the comfort and warmth provided by his relationship with Enide and the glory and honor he enjoyed in his days as a bachelor knight. Roaming the countryside seeking adventure, winning prizes at tournaments, enjoying favor with Arthur and Guinevere – Erec doesn’t want to give these things up, but he is torn between two loves.

When his peers point out that Erec is no longer cutting it, he starts to doubt whether he made the right decision getting hitched. Did he give up too much for Enide? Is the trade really worth it? Erec becomes obsessed with the idea that maybe his wife, too, thinks he’s lost his edge and is sorry she married such a lazy excuse for a knight. He subjects Enide to cruel and dangerous tests of her love.

Erec struggled with notably modern dilemmas such as balancing one’s private vs. public persona, work demands with family demands, and the desire for independence and a committed loving partnership. Maybe these issues don’t resonate in your career or relationship, but they sure do in mine.

The Inferno
A second timeless piece is Dante’s masterful dream vision, The Inferno.  His description of various sins and their punishments definitely encourages the reader to think about her current behavior. Does a “fence sitter” really go to hell because she finds it difficult to take a definite position? For a classic Libra, this is a scary thought to contemplate.  If we accumulate more material possessions than we need, will we really end up being pelted with cold, filthy, miserable rain and having our bodies torn apart by a vicious beast – non-stop and for all eternity? Maybe I didn’t need those new boots after all.

Antigone
Considering the proper role of government in society? Antigone is a wonderful, bold, and decisive female character who took a stand against her government. In the 5th century BC, Antigone leaped into action when her cruel and bossy uncle, King Creon, declared that Antigone’s recently deceased brother did not deserve a proper burial. Because his nephew was disloyal to him, Creon declared that the corpse should lie exposed to the elements and be eaten by birds. From a religious and moral perspective, it was imperative that people receive a decent burial. So Antigone disobeyed Creon and buried her brother. It turned out to be a very bad idea for Antigone to defy the king’s decree to do what she believed was right. Creon punished Antigone by entombing her alive. (Creon later capitulated, but too late. When his agents arrived to free her, they discovered that Antigone had hanged herself inside the tomb.)

Modern critics debate whether Antigone did or did not do the right thing by breaking the law and following her personal ethical instincts. After all, the law is the law, right?  Antigone’s story is a beautiful example of a conflict between positive and natural law – a conflict that is alive today in our university classrooms and our justice system. Her story also displays the arbitrary and political nature of the law with painful clarity. If a natural law does exist, how do we know it? Who interprets it?  People who live in red states or people who live in blue states? Does one have to attend a certain church to understand the natural law and what it requires of us?

Agamemnon
Aeschylus’ Troy was also not immune from social and political conflicts, often created by Troy’s leaders themselves. The great warrior Agamemnon was so blinded by pride that when he committed a grievous offense (tricked by his wife into displaying his arrogance, he walked on some prized carpet – this was considered taboo), he couldn’t see or hear the horror of his subjects. He was literally blinded to others’ negative reactions to his actions.  This classical play also alludes to issues that may arise when one country perpetrates aggression against another country.  How does a country justify going to war and how does it later redeem itself? Agamemnon’s ancient tale could make good reading for any current head of state.

Catharsis.

1. A purifying or figurative cleansing of the emotions, especially pity and fear, described by Aristotle as an effect of tragic drama on its audience.

The ancient Greeks believed that if the audience could feel certain emotions triggered by what it was watching unfold on stage, its members might not be forced to personally experience the same difficult events or perform the same actions. Maybe there’s something worthwhile to this idea of learning from the mistakes of others.

Oedipus
Sophocles’ Oedipus is somewhat well known because he married his mother by mistake. However, modern audiences may not know about Oedipus’ struggle with an obsessive desire for control. Oedipus deeply believed that if he willed it to be so, it would be so. Often his intentions were pure. He wanted to assist his subjects in their daily lives, ruling them generously and competently. Oedipus tried over and over again to orchestrate events, the actions of others, and, most importantly, outcomes. But he didn’t succeed. He failed badly. And the reader learns that announcing to everyone nearby how clever and superior she is may not serve her well later when she needs others’ sympathy.

So, I can confidently state that there is contemporary value in classic literature. Ambition, greed, sex, love, adventure, power, marriage, politics – it’s all there. Want to understand more about yourself or others? Pondering the big questions in life, the stuff that matters?  Take a look at an old Greek who paid dearly for his suspected hubris. Or think about what circle of Dante’s hell your current behaviors will land you in for all eternity. Now that could be timely.

Susan Osbeck supervises the Connections Program for Allconnect, Inc. in a 12-state region of the western United States. Headquartered in Atlanta, Allconnect provides a widely accepted service that helps electric-utility customers select, order, and manage brand-name utility, communications, and other home services. After a customer moves and sets up electric service in a new house, the electric utility transfers the customer to Allconnect. Allconnect then provides one-stop shopping for phone, cable, internet, and other services.