Can Modern Drama be Tragic? A look at ‘Waiting for Godot’ and ‘Death of a Salesman’ (part 2)

“Both plays investigate the idea of ‘human greatness’ by calling into question what is ‘great’ or even meaningful about humanity, to craft modern tragedies which redefine the tragic genre to address modern concerns with human purpose.”

Can Modern Drama be Tragic? A look at ‘Waiting for Godot’ and ‘Death of a Salesman’ (part 1)

“Ultimately, tragedy does need a sense of human greatness, but I would argue that ‘human greatness’ is not denied by modern drama, but reframed within a background of cosmic indifference which only amplifies the hero’s tragic nobility, even if it is simultaneously presented as futile.”

We should tread carefully as we diversify the canon