The Death Of Tragedy

[poliphilo]

We don't write tragedies anymore, even though we still write comedies.

We've handed the word "tragedy" over to the journalists for them to kick about.

When was the last time a serious writer wrote a serious play entitled "The Tragedy of X" or "X, A Tragedy"?

I'll bet it wasn't any later than 1920.

George Steiner has a book- which I haven't read- called The Death of Tragedy.  He says we  no longer write tragedy because we no longer possess a coherent religious or metaphysical world view. 

Rubbish.

We're talking linguistic fashion not cultural shift. It's about a word dropping out of use.

We find the word "tragedy" pretentious, hi-falutin, embarrassing, devalued-

Probably because the canonical tragedies (The Greeks, Shakespeare, Corneille and Racine) are about kings and heroes- and- for all sorts of good historical and cultural reasons- we no longer believe in such cannaille

But we still produce dramas in which poor saps come an inevitable cropper. 

Dramas that move us to tears- that provoke emotional catharsis.

Isn't Brokeback Mountain a tragedy in all but name? 

And what's in a name?

Comments

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I only know it by reputation but I'm sure you're right.