commanding figures; in no other
form are the deeper possibilities of
life brought into such clear view; in
no other form are the fundamental
laws of life disclosed in a light at
once so searching and so beautiful in
its revealing power. If all the his-
tories were lost and all the ethical
discussions forgotten, the moral qual-
ity of life and the tremendous signifi-
cance of character would find adequate
illustration in the great tragedies.
They lay bare the very heart of man
under all historic conditions; they
make us aware of the range of his
experiences; they uncover the depths
by which he is surrounded. They
enable us to see, in lightning flashes,
the undiscovered territory which in-
closes the little island on which we
live; they light up the mysterious
background of invisible forces against

[[224]]

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v?