Aeschylus wrote the line based on the philosophical thought that you can only judge something on its completion; thus someone is only happy if most of his life, in total, has been joyful.
Aeschylus wrote the line based on the philosophical thought that you can only judge something on its completion; thus someone is only happy if most of his life, in total, has been joyful.
Seen in the context of the song it seems to imply that a very small majority of things, actions and people are good, because they've had bad consequences or done bad things as well as good.
Seen in the context of the song it seems to imply that a very small majority of things, actions and people are good, because they've had bad consequences or done bad things as well as good.
This might just be a coincidence, but the final lines of the ancient Greek play, Oedipus Rex, are:
"Now as we keep our watch and wait the final day, count no man happy till he dies, free of pain at last"
Which is almost word-for-word for Tom's "Call no man happy till he dies" bit. Which is pretty interesting!
Aeschylus wrote the line based on the philosophical thought that you can only judge something on its completion; thus someone is only happy if most of his life, in total, has been joyful.
Aeschylus wrote the line based on the philosophical thought that you can only judge something on its completion; thus someone is only happy if most of his life, in total, has been joyful.
Seen in the context of the song it seems to imply that a very small majority of things, actions and people are good, because they've had bad consequences or done bad things as well as good.
Seen in the context of the song it seems to imply that a very small majority of things, actions and people are good, because they've had bad consequences or done bad things as well as good.