1.3.2

Modern Domestic Tragedy

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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.

Tragic flaw

Tragic flaw

  • The main character can still have a tragic flaw.
Character and society

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:

Harsh reality

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.
Anti-heroes

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.
Family life

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.
Psychological emphasis

Psychological emphasis

  • There is a psychological emphasis.
    • E.g. with all of the main characters in the tragedy Williams had constructed.
Disorder of the mind

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
1

Context & Overview

1.1

The Author

1.1.1Tennessee Williams
1.2

Social Context & Setting

1.2.1Social Context1.2.2Social Issues1.2.3Setting
1.3

Tragedy

1.3.1Overview of the Tragic Genre1.3.2Modern Domestic Tragedy1.3.3End of Topic Test - Author, Context & Tragedy
2

Scene Summaries

2.1

Scene One-Two

2.1.1Scene One: Summary2.1.2Scene One: Tragedy Ideas2.1.3Scene Two: Summary & Tragedy Ideas2.1.4End of Topic Test - Scenes One-Two
2.2

Scene Three-Four

2.2.1Scene Three: Summary & Tragedy Ideas2.2.2Scene Four: Summary & Tragedy Ideas2.2.3End of Topic Test - Scenes Three & Four
2.3

Scenes Five-Eigth

2.3.1Scene Five: Summary & Tragedy Ideas2.3.2Scene Six: Summary2.3.3Scene Seven: Summary & Tragedy Ideas2.3.4Scene Eight: Summary & Tragedy Ideas2.3.5End of Topic Test - Scenes Five-Eight
2.4

Scenes Nine-Eleven

2.4.1Scene Nine: Summary & Tragedy Ideas2.4.2Scene Ten: Summary & Tragedy Ideas2.4.3Scene Eleven: Summary & Tragedy Ideas2.4.4End of Topic Test - Scenes Nine-Eleven
3

Character Profiles

3.1

Blanche DuBois & Stanley Kowalski

3.1.1Blanche DuBois - The Past & Illusions3.1.2Blanche DuBois - Relationship with Men & Breakdown3.1.3The Dynamic Between Blanche & Stanley3.1.4End of Topic Test - Blanche & Stanley
3.2

Stella Kowalski & Harold Mitchell (Mitch)

3.2.1Stella Kowalski3.2.2Harold Mitchell (Mitch)
3.3

Minor Characters

3.3.1The Hubbels3.3.2Other Characters3.3.3End of Topic Test - Stella, Mitch & Others
4

Key Ideas

4.1

Sex & Gender

4.1.1Sex & Desire4.1.2Masculinity & Femininity4.1.3End of Topic Test - Sex, Desire & Gender
4.2

Appearances, Fantasy & Reality

4.2.1Outer & Inner Appearances4.2.2Fantasy & Reality4.2.3End of Topic Test - Appearances, Fantasy...
5

Writing Techniques

5.1

Structure

5.1.1Structure & Stage Design5.1.2Linking Devices5.1.3Recurring Motifs
5.2

Genre, Form & Language

5.2.1Genre5.2.2Form & Language5.2.3End of Topic Test - Writing Techniques
6

Critical Debates

6.1

Early & Modern Reception

6.1.1Interpreting Blanche & Self-Pity6.1.2Contemporary & Modern Reviews
6.2

Feminist, Psychoanalytic & Marxist Approach

6.2.1Feminist Approach6.2.2Psychoanalytic Approach6.2.3Marxist Approach6.2.4End of Topic Test - Critical Debates
7

Ideas About Tragedy

7.1

Ideas About Tragedy

7.1.1Tragic Ideas7.1.2Tragic Villain7.1.3Tragic Structure & Language7.1.4Tragic Plots & Sub-Plots
8

Recap: Main Quotes

8.1

Main Quotes by Scene

8.1.1Scene One - Quotations8.1.2Scene Two - Quotations8.1.3Scene Three - Quotations8.1.4Scene Four - Quotations8.1.5Scene Five - Quotations8.1.6Scene Six - Quotations8.1.7Scene Seven - Quotations8.1.8Scene Eight - Quotations8.1.9Scene Nine - Quotations8.1.10Scene Ten - Quotations8.1.11Scene Eleven - Quotations

Practice questions on Modern Domestic Tragedy

Can you answer these? Test yourself with free interactive practice on Seneca — used by over 10 million students.

  1. 1
    In what ways are tragic heroes in modern domestic tragedies like traditional tragic heroes?Fill in the list
  2. 2
    Which of these are often true of tragic heroes and heroines in modern domestic tragedies? True / false
  3. 3
    What makes the characters in modern tragedies different from those in earlier tragedies?Multiple choice
  4. 4
    How does the concept of a tragic flaw manifest in modern domestic tragedies?Multiple choice
  5. 5
    What role does society play in shaping the tragedy in modern texts?Multiple choice
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Overview of the Tragic Genre

End of Topic Test - Author, Context & Tragedy