The Death of Tragedy

An engrossing and provocative look at the decline of tragedy in modern art

“All men are aware of tragedy in life. But tragedy as a form of drama is not universal.” So begins George Steiner’s adept analysis of the demise of classic tragedy as a dramatic depiction of heroism and suffering. In The Death of Tragedy, Steiner examines the uniqueness and importance of the Greek classical tragedy—from antiquity to the age of Jean Racine and William Shakespeare—as providing stark insight into the grief and joy of human existence. Then, delving into the works of John Keats, Henrik Ibsen, Samuel Beckett, and many more, Steiner demonstrates how the tragic voice has greatly diminished in modern theater, and what we have lost in the process.