Modern Tragedy

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What distinguishes modern tragedy from other forms of drama, and how does it connect to contemporary political and social conditions? This book addresses these questions, beginning with an exploration of John Millington Synge's Riders to the Sea (1904) and its expression of environmental awareness through tragic drama, motivated by our current ecocidal crisis. The second chapter analyzes Brecht's adaptation of Synge's work in his 1937 play Señora Carrar's Rifles, highlighting Brecht's critique of traditional tragedies that emotionally engage audiences but fail to promote political understanding. It discusses how Brecht's views on tragedy were shaped by Hegel and Marx, contrasting them with Samuel Beckett's Schopenhauerian perspective. The third chapter focuses on theatre makers who apply Synge's tragic narrative to postcolonial contexts, examining Derek Walcott's The Sea at Dauphin (1954) and J.P. Clark's The Goat (1961). This section reconsiders tragedy, often seen as reinforcing hegemonic assumptions, and explores how its elements resonate with the experiences and concerns of non-white authors and audiences.