Most people associate tragic works with Shakespeare and other famous philosophers and playwrights of the distant past. But, tragedy can be seen throughout contemporary history. Tragedy is not limited to the times of prices, knights, and prophets. Arthur Miller in “Tragedy and the Common Man” wrote, "I believe that the common man is as apt a subject for tragedy in its highest sense as kings were." I agree, but I would even take it further to say that the common man is more of a subject suited for tragedy than kings are. If the purpose of tragedy is to create catharsis in the audience, than relating to the audience is a key step. I think works like Oedipus Rex and other famous tragedies are not popular because of their similar settings/characters (i.e. the worlds of kings), but despite those aspects. Those authors accomplished an even greater feat by getting the audience to relate to characters that may not seem like them at first glance. The common man may not face the same outwardly drastic dilemmas that kings do, but I would argue that the inward struggle of the common man is greater than that of lavish kings.
|
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |