Chris Tsirkas

This book represents my most recent contribution to the ongoing artistic dialogue between classical dramatic traditions and contemporary thematic concerns. Written in Shakespearean blank verse but structurally and philosophically aligned with Attic tragedy, this dramatic work reimagines the Arthurian legend through the perspective of Morgana, traditionally cast as antagonist but here revealed as a complex protagonist caught between competing worldviews.

The play deliberately deviates from Shakespearean conventions, while maintaining the richness of Elizabethan poetic language. Unlike Shakespeare's historical dramas with their multiple subplots and comic relief, "Morgana" maintains the focused dramatic intensity characteristic of Attic Tragedy. The narrative follows a single, powerful conflict –the tension between ancient pagan wisdom and emergent Christian values –allowing for deeper philosophical exploration than a more dispersed dramatic structure would permit.

In crafting this work, I drew inspiration from Euripides' complex female protagonists and morally ambiguous narratives. Morgana emerges not as the enchantress dark of medieval romance, but as a priestess attempting to reconcile opposing forces that threaten to tear apart both her family and Britain itself. Her perspective governs our understanding of events, reminiscent of how Euripides centered marginalized voices in plays like "Medea" and "The Trojan Women". This sustained focus on a female protagonist throughout an entire tragedy represents a deliberate departure from Shakespearean tradition.

The play's treatment of fate, prophecy, and human choice similarly draws from Greek tragic sensibilities rather than Shakespearean approaches. Where Shakespeare's characters often struggle against personal flaws or political machinations, "Morgana" presents its protagonists confronting an inexorable destiny that has been foretold, yet might still be altered through wisdom and sacrifice. The tension between cosmic necessity and human agency creates a more profound tragic resonance than typically found in Shakespeare's works, where tragedy often stems from character rather than fate.

Structurally, the play employs a cyclical understanding of Time –beginning with Morgan Le Fey looking back and ending with the promise of Arthur's eventual return –that aligns more closely with Greek tragic sensibilities than with the linear historical progression typical of Shakespeare's histories and tragedies. The Prologue and Epilogue featuring Morgan Le Fey function similarly to a Greek Chorus, providing context, offering judgment, and creating emotional distance that invites reflection rather than mere catharsis.

Through this artistic synthesis, "Morgana" examines how history is written by the victors, and how women of power and agency are transformed into villains when their narratives are told by those who fear them. The play interrogates the very foundations of Arthurian myth, asking whose perspectives have been privileged in the telling and whose have been silenced. In doing so, it connects to contemporary discussions about indigenous wisdom, cultural appropriation, and the gendered dynamics of historical narrative.

The tragedy that unfolds reveals how Merlin –often portrayed as the benevolent architect of Arthur's reign– manipulated events to serve a vision of progress that required the suppression of ancient ways. It explores how Arthur's celebrated kingdom, for all its idealism, was built upon secrets and deceptions that propelled its undoing. And it examines how Mordred, traditionally cast as the villain who brought down Camelot, might instead have been another victim of forces beyond his control –a young man denied his heritage and identity, until truth erupted in violence.

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Morgana - A Tragedy in Five Acts, in Shakespearean blank verse

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