Is there such thing as a modern tragedy?
Tragedy, tragedy and more, you guessed it. The dilemma of tragedy had been divided by the neoclassical view of the Greek tragedy and by the Elizabethan past in the Shakespearean tragedy. The argument is whether modern tragedies are just that, tragedies, by the Greek standard.
So, can a modern tragedy be a tragedy? Yes it can. Though many critics will disagree, that is the beauty of the topic.
Have you read this play? If not, get on it, it’s amazing, intense and downright vulgar. I love it!
“People who keep dogs are cowards who haven't got the guts to bite people themselves.”
~August Strindberg
It sounds like the original Greek tragedy was based on social classes with one person's life being more interesting than another.
ReplyDeleteAs we are slowly becoming a less class based society and we all have similar experience.
I agree with Brooke.
Interested,
Mark B
Sounds awesome! I'll definitely look into it!
ReplyDeleteHaven't read that yet, I'll have to get on it, Loved the quote though!
ReplyDeleteIt is pretty interesting how most of the play revolves around the kitchen and the entire life of the play is one night.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely themed around power and sex.
--Mr SixShooter
It sounds intriguing. I love a good tragedy! I'll definitely pick it up!
ReplyDeleteI thought this was interesting:
ReplyDeleteCensored for its shocking content, Miss Julie revolves around a familiar Strindbergian encounter: a quasi-Darwinian struggle across sex and class lines. Strindberg scholars believe that a short story by Zola, "The Sin of Father Mouret," served as direct inspiration for the play. Zola's tale tells of a priest who abandons his order to take up with a virgin but returns to the cloth upon being "caught in the act" by a fellow clergyman. Grief-stricken, the maiden commits suicide by suffocating herself in a bed of rose petals. There is also some evidence that Strindberg intended the play as a warning to the first of his three unfortunate wives, the Baronness Siri von Essen. When confronted with the suggestion that the play is a warning to his wife, Strindberg reportedly answered that he could hardly be sure enough to deny it.
Having had the pleasure of watching a few of Strindbergs plays in the original language (unfortunately not in the "Red Room" theater) I have to say that my view on it is not as much as "traditional greek tragedy" but as a statement of Swedish society in his time. There is a weird combination of social responsibility and sexual decadence that is apparent to this day - the swedish guilt:
ReplyDelete"Feel free to be promiscuous - but if you catch a decease: Shame on you"
The same goes for this play where the selfish nature of her endeavors in the end forces her to take a (somewhat drastic - and this might be where you're right on the tragedy part) action to take responsibility for her actions.
/M
My understanding of a Greek tragedy is that catharsis is NOT reached. This confuses me as one of the main points of this posting seems to indicate that a Greek tragedy is defined by a story in which catharsis is reached, by either the characters in the play or the audience.
ReplyDeletei have no interest in watching plays or reading them... but after reading this ... I sort of do =)
ReplyDelete