Modern Tragedy

Modern tragedy is a form of drama that emerged in the 20th century, motivated by the urgency of our current situation in an age of ecocidal crisis. It encompasses a variety of drama from throughout the 20th century, including John Millington Synges Riders to the Sea (1904), Brechts reworking of Synges drama in the 1937 play Señora Carrars Rifles, and theatre makers whose ideas were partly motivated by applying an understanding of the tragic narrative of Synges Riders to the Sea to postcolonial contexts. It explores how tragedy, a form that is often associated with regressive assumptions about hegemony, might be rethought, and how aspects of the tragic may coincide with the experiences and concerns of authors and audiences of colour.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 192 pages
Publication date: 23 February 2023
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Modern tragedy is a genre of drama that emerged in the 20th century and has been used by artists to address contemporary political and social conditions. It differs from other forms of drama in several ways. One of the key distinctions is that modern tragedy often deals with themes of environmental awareness and ecological crisis. This is evident in the work of playwrights such as John Millington Synge, who wrote Riders to the Sea (1904), and Brecht, who reworked Synge's drama in the 1937 play Señora Carrar's Rifles. Brecht's tragic thinking, informed by Hegel and Marx, contrasts with the Schopenhauerian approach of Samuel Beckett.

Another important aspect of modern tragedy is its ability to address postcolonial contexts. Theatre makers such as Derek Walcott and J.P. Clark have used the tragic narrative of Synge's Riders to the Sea to explore the experiences and concerns of authors and audiences of colour. This approach has helped to challenge regressive assumptions about hegemony and has contributed to the development of a more inclusive and diverse theatre landscape.

Modern tragedy has also been influenced by a range of other literary and artistic movements, including postmodernism, feminism, and queer theory. These movements have challenged traditional notions of tragedy and have explored new ways of representing and interpreting the human experience. For example, postmodernism has emphasized the fragmented and fragmented nature of reality, while feminism has focused on the experiences of women and the ways in which they have been marginalized in society. Queer theory has explored the ways in which gender and sexuality intersect with other aspects of identity and have challenged the binary of heterosexuality and homosexuality.

Despite its many contributions, modern tragedy has also faced criticism. Some critics argue that it is too focused on the past and that it does not offer any solutions to the current political and social problems that we face. Others argue that it is too abstract and that it does not engage with the audience on a personal level.

In response to these criticisms, modern tragedy has continued to evolve and adapt. Theatre makers have experimented with new forms of staging and performance, and have worked to make their work more accessible to a wider audience. For example, some theatre companies have used multimedia and interactive elements to create immersive and interactive experiences for their audiences.

In conclusion, modern tragedy is a genre of drama that has been used by artists to address contemporary political and social conditions. It differs from other forms of drama in several ways, including its focus on environmental awareness and ecological crisis, its ability to address postcolonial contexts, and its influence by a range of other literary and artistic movements. While it has faced criticism, it has continued to evolve and adapt, and has become an important part of the contemporary theatre landscape.

Weight: 216g
Dimension: 128 x 198 x 16 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781350139770