1.3.2

Modern Domestic Tragedy

Test yourself

Characters in Modern Domestic Tragedies

In modern domestic tragedies, the characters do not have to be as grand as a King or a Prince but they often still have a particular status in the society in which they operate.

Illustrative background for Tragic flawIllustrative background for Tragic flaw ?? "content

Tragic flaw

  • The main character can still have a tragic flaw.
Illustrative background for Character and society Illustrative background for Character and society  ?? "content

Character and society

  • The wider society may be considered tragic because the text is set in a particular era or time period.
  • Very often, the tragic hero or heroine will find themselves at odds with the society around them - so that they do not quite fit.
  • Sometimes, a character tries to rise too quickly in society and pays the price for their ambition.

Features of Modern Domestic Tragedies

Modern domestic tragedies such as A Streetcar Named Desire often have the following core components:

Illustrative background for Harsh realityIllustrative background for Harsh reality ?? "content

Harsh reality

  • They explore the painfulness of a world where fictions of a rational social order can no longer be maintained.
    • E.g. Blanche knows that the ordered past can no longer be relied upon.
Illustrative background for Anti-heroesIllustrative background for Anti-heroes ?? "content

Anti-heroes

  • The figures of modern tragedies are anti-heroes. This means that they are just ordinary people as opposed to the great men and women of earlier tragedies.
    • E.g. Blanche and Stanley are just normal people in New Orleans.
Illustrative background for Family lifeIllustrative background for Family life ?? "content

Family life

  • They focus on family life – the drama tends to look inward at one’s self and one’s immediate surrounds.
    • E.g. the focus here upon Stella and Stanley’s apartment.
Illustrative background for Psychological emphasisIllustrative background for Psychological emphasis ?? "content

Psychological emphasis

  • There is a psychological emphasis.
    • E.g. with all of the main characters in the tragedy Williams had constructed.
Illustrative background for Disorder of the mindIllustrative background for Disorder of the mind ?? "content

Disorder of the mind

  • The emphasis in modern tragedy is on the disorder of the mind as well as the disorder of the wider world.
    • E.g. when Blanche suffers from a breakdown at the end of the drama.

Jump to other topics

1Context & Overview

2Scene Summaries

3Character Profiles

4Key Ideas

5Writing Techniques

6Critical Debates

7Ideas About Tragedy

Go student ad image

Unlock your full potential with GoStudent tutoring

  • Affordable 1:1 tutoring from the comfort of your home

  • Tutors are matched to your specific learning needs

  • 30+ school subjects covered

Book a free trial lesson