Student-designed final essay sample c

Judging by the survey of works covered in this course, it is clear that tragedy has evolved in a number of ways.  For instance, narration in O’Neill plays is far more elaborate than what is found in the tragic plays of ancient Greece.  However, in my opinion a single trend has outshone all others - that of comedic and romantic elements in works of tragedy.  Although one may be tempted to place tragedy, comedy, and romance in isolated, mutually exclusive categories, the truth is that tragedy has benefited significantly through the co-mingling with comedy and romance.

Out of the works covered in this course, Medea may be the best example of a tragedy devoid of comedic or romantic elements.  The main character (Medea or Jason, depending on the interpretation) spends the entire play in either morbid contemplation or righteous anger.  Antigone, another work of ancient Greece, has a very small element of comedy, found in the sentry’s revelation of Antigone’s deed to Kreon – “I’ll not say that I’m out of breath from running, King, because every time I stopped to think about what I have to tell you, I felt like going back.”  Although it is hardly side-splitting, this dialogue provides the reader with an opportunity to psychologize the cringing but well-meaning servant.

Skipping forward to the more contemporary tragic works covered in this course, comedy has come to occupy an important space in tragedy.  For instance, the story of the escaped pigs in both Long Day’s Journey and Moon for the Misbegotten is most definitely a comedic element.  Indeed, the story has no significant impact on the plot (although, more so in Moon than Journey), and yet it serves an important purpose.  More specificially, the story adds a dimension of humanity to the characters which, through tragedy alone, would not be there.  Because the characters in each story are not “great”, as Aristotle suggests they should be, they are instead deep, well-rounded people who the audience can empathize with and, ultimately, feel sorry for.  A similar tactic in employed in ‘Night Mother, a play which deals with a very tragic subject (suicide), but handles it in a (darkly) comedic, absurd way.  In fact, Thelma at first assumes Jessie is joking about the subject, a treatment which is both progressive as compared to ancient Greece and viscerally acceptable to the audience.  In other words, Thelma’s reaction is one the audience can understand and empathize with.

Romantic elements are also present in many contemporary tragedies.  However, romance seems to have infiltrated tragedy at a much earlier date than comedy, as evidenced by the ending of Medea.  While Medea has no comedic elements to speak of, the ending is most definitely romantic.  The audience may disagree with it, but the deus ex machina employed in the form of a dragon chariot which allows Medea to “rise above it all” is romantic by nature.  O’Neill’s Moon for the Misbegotten also utilizes elements of romance to augment the inherently tragic plot.  Specifically, although Jamie “dies” in Josie’s arms and remembers nothing the following day, he has in a sense transcended the tragedy of his life (at least, for a few hours).  The romantic element compliments, rather than contests, the tragedy. 

Dreams are a relatively new romantic aspect of tragedy.  A midterm sample states, “With most of O’Neill’s plays all the characters have dreams, but most of the dreams are achieved for a split moment, but none are fully grasped.” (SG 02)  Indeed, tragedies such as Raisin in the Sun have preyed upon the idea of broken dreams, or, to put in another way, dreams which seem to have been fulfilled but are either broken or revealed to be incomplete.  For instance, Walter is excited about his pending business deal and assumes everything has gone according to his plan.  He fails to even consider the possibility that Willy would run off with the money – essentially, Walter’s dream has been fulfilled, which makes the breaking of that dream all the more tragic.  Dreams are a romantic element which serves to heighten the characters sufficiently for a tragic fall.

Tragedy and comedy can be combined in ways beyond what has been discussed. For instance, O’Neill’s comedy Ah, Wilderness! exemplifies the use of tragic elements in comedy.  Both Sid’s alcoholism and Richard’s angst are tragic elements, evidenced by the fact that the same issues appear predominately in Long Day’s Journey. Even comedy demands conflict, and tragedy is certainly an area ripe with it – comedy simply minimizes and resolves it much differently.  Ultimately, such intermingling of genres strengthens – rather than dilutes – each. [TK]