Truth and fiction: The quest for meaning in the Ancient Greek and Shakespearean tragedies

"In this study, the human search for meaning is examined through the relationship between truth and fiction, with a focus on Ancient Greek and Shakespearean tragedies. Within this framework, truth is delineated as philosophical truth. Philosophical truth refers to the ultimate meaning constructed through the philosopher's intellectual process. Thus, it is defined as a fiction that signifies meaning. In literature, poetry, painting, and other art forms, fictions that point to meaning are distinguished from philosophical fiction as fictions endowed with philosophical content. These philosophically charged fictions facilitate the comprehension, concretization, and ultimately the embodiment of philosophical truth. The study examines the relationship between art and philosophy, arguing that philosophy can be considered an art form in its own right. From this perspective, it posits that the relationship between art and philosophy contributes to humanity's quest for meaning. The central problem addressed is how meaning is interpreted in Ancient Greek and Shakespearean tragedies through the lens of philosophy as an art form. This analysis is conducted by philosophically examining recurring themes in tragedies, such as fate, hubris, ambition, jealousy, love, excess, rebellion, betrayal, alienation, and identity. Building on this, the study asserts that tragedies, as fictions imbued with philosophical content, enable the understanding of theoretical philosophical truths. Consequently, it claims that the interplay between art and philosophy presents a possibility for the pursuit of meaning. This research investigates how tragedies, as a literary form, not only render philosophical truth intelligible but also contribute to humanity's existential search for meaning."