On the Emergence of Tragedy

While one can certainly identify elements of tragedy in literatures around the world, tragedy in its purest form has only arisen at certain times and places: 

•       Ancient Greece                          -- 5^th Century B.C.

–      Aeschylus

–      Sophocles

–      Euripides

•       Ancient Rome                            -- 1^st Century A.D.

–      Seneca

•       Renaissance Europe                   -- 17^th Century A.D.

–      Shakespeare, et al (England)

–      Racine(France)

•       Post-WW II Modernist America – 20^th Century A.D.

–      Eugene O'Neill

–      Robinson Jeffers

Why do we see tragedy arising at these times, in these places? Are there any similarities among these times and places? Let us look at the social situation of each:

5^th Century Athens

•       Athenian political hegemony after defeating the Persians

•       Strong economic growth

•       Influx of immigrants

•       Golden Age of Athens

1^st Century Rome

•       Stable government under Augustus after Civil Wars

•       Strong economic growth

•       Influx of new people and ideas from the furthest reaches of the Empire

•       Golden Age of Rome

Renaissance England

•       Stable monarchy under Elizabeth after period of political instability and the defeat of the Spanish Armada

•       Strong economic growth

•       Influx of immigrants

•       Elizabethan Age considered a Golden Age

17^th Century France

•       Stable French government under Louis XIV after period of wars

•       Strong economic growth

•       Influx of immigrants coinciding with colonialism

•       Called the Grand Siecle (Grand Century)

Post WWII Modernist America

•       World dominated by American hegemony after the central role of the U.S. in winning WWII

•       Strong economic growth

•       Influx of immigrants from around the world

•       This period is known as The American Century

What we seem to see here is a major cultural shift, followed by a peacetime during which certain artists have the time and luxury to consider the changes that took place. Most cultural changes are gradual, or the jump is not that dramatic. But sometimes you get cultural changes such as we saw with the Renaissance.

Above is a cusp catastrophe model of cultural change.  It is rare for a culture to move along the front edge of the topological map. More commonly, cultures evolve along the back side of the map. We can see what will happen if one moves from one stable section to another along the front of the map -- sudden, surprising changes. One can imagine that during such changes, people will have a desire to figure out what, exactly, just happened. And that's where tragic art comes in. The bigger the jump, the purer the tragedy that will be written.

Coincidentally, during long periods of stability, we tend to see epics written, providing confirmation for that culture.

Tragedy affirms the new cultural forms, while trying to make sense of them.

Comedy arises out of conservative impulses, to ridicule the excesses of the new.

Drama tends to combine the genres. Novels, especially. These can in some ways be seen as storytelling for storytelling's sake.