Audience+Tragedy

Audience Kylie Lizardi  

Drama has been used for centuries in literature, as well as theater. However, tragedy, a new form of drama, was introduced in the mid 1500’s-1600’s. Tragedy appealed to several different audiences, but was originally written for the leaders of that time. About.com’s Classic Literature reporter, Robert Fletcher, discusses how the government in Europe influenced literature. He says, “Little by little the nation found itself divided into two great factions; on the one hand the Cavaliers, the party of the Court, the nobles, and the Church, who continued to be largely dominated by the Renaissance zest for beauty and, especially, pleasure” (Fletcher). The Church was a huge force in Europe at this time, and their main drive was “pleasure”. Because of this, plays and books were “dominated” by the views of the government. Tragedy was written to please the government. However, writing plays was taught in schools; thus tragedies not only appealed to officials, but to the general public.

 Tragedies began appealing more to the general public, rather than just the Court. Fletcher discusses that “The general influence of the forces which produced these events shows clearly in the changing tone of the drama, the work of those dramatists who were Shakespeare's later contemporaries and successors” (Fletcher). Tragedy changed through the “influence” of “events” taking place in this time period. Their audience shifted, drawing general public rather than government. They were written to inspire emotion, to represent a human sentiment that was a big part of life in the 1600’s. Writer David Chandler reveals that tragedy touches the human soul more than anything. “We might call it the paradox of disappointment. Defeat, shattered hopes, and ultimately death face us all as human beings. They are very real, but somehow we have the intuitive feeling that they are out of place…Tragic literature confronts us afresh with this paradox and we become fascinated by it.” (Chandler). Tragedy touches on all aspects of a human life. It relates to “defeat” and “death”, “fascinating” people. It appeals to their senses, and allows them to relate in a way that society needed at this time. Tragedy was written as a realistic getaway from life.

 Works Cited

Chandler, David. "The Essence of Shakespearean Tragedy." David Chandler, Collected Writings. Web. 8 Nov. 2011.

Fletcher, Robert. "Chapter VI. The Drama From About 1550 To 1642." About.com. Web. 7 Nov. 2011.