The Tragic Hero of the Modern Period: The European Concept

Abstract

There is a hiatus between the Neo-classical and the modern period in the sense that, there was a dearth of tragedy in Europe in the 18th and 19th centuries when comedy became the major dramatic form. The 20th century was a time of immense anxiety in the world. This anxiety can be traced to the disorder in the modern life as a result of the breakdown in religious discipline. This paper therefore aims to look at the unique personal characteristics to present this new hero whose personal lack of order does not present a deviation from the system but confirms a dislocation in the system itself. The study provides extracts from Beckett’s Waiting for Godot as the main text, Beckett’s Endgame, Miller ’s, The crucible, Death of the Salesman, All my Sons, and View from the Bridge as supporting texts to present the European concept of the tragic hero.