A Study Of Raymond Williams’ S Modern Theory Of Tragedy

Raymond Williams argues that there is a sense in which the separation of "tragedy" from tragedy is inevitable.First,tragedy is a socio-cultural experience of reality;coal mine disasters,family destruction,career interruptions,and car wars are all tragedies;second,tragedy can refer to a set of literary and dramatic arts dedicated to presenting sad stories,and many great tragic works have survived to this day.Williams argues that the coexistence of the two meanings of tragedy is not contradictory;both empirical tragedy in real society and literary tragedy based on everyday experience contain human tragic experiences and tragic reactions to real social and interpersonal relationships.Williams examines tragic works and tragic ideas in their realistic context and historical continuity,and thus grasps the evolution of modern tragedy.He sees modern tragedy as a process of gradual secularization,which is reflected in the movement of tragedy from a sense of fate under ancient Greek mythological thinking to the existential dilemmas of modern man.As one of the forms of cultural revolution,tragedy can both awaken the tragic consciousness of the public and raise the public’s attention to the politics of art.Williams organically combines the dilemma and hope in tragedy,expecting to promote the success of the revolution through the power of tragedy,expecting to reconstruct the real world through tragic action,and expecting to evoke the understanding and awareness of the tragedy of everyday life through the meaning of tragedy.His modern theory of tragedy is both a response to Steiner’s "theory of the demise of tragedy" and an attempt to demonstrate the continuity and empirical nature of tragedy.This paper takes Raymond Williams’ Modern Tragedy as the object of study,and on the basis of systematically sorting out the development of the secularization of tragedy,delves into the modern tragic literature under the social and cultural experience.Williams’ s modern theory of tragedy is expressed both in his analysis of the characteristics of tragic characters and in his interpretation of tragic themes.The changes in character traits and tragic themes in modern tragedies reveal the subtle evolution of tragic consciousness and tragic spirit in contemporary society,and are important for re-examining the tragic experiences and tragic meanings of those who lived in the long democratic revolutionary society.Based on a close reading of the text,this paper divides the study of modern tragedy theory into four chapters,namely,the evolution of modern tragedy,the development of character traits in modern tragedy,the development of themes in modern tragedy,and the meaning and value of modern tragedy,analyzing the rationality and importance of the existence of its modern tragedy theory layer by layer.Firstly,the modern tragedy is examined in the context of the historical continuity of the times,and its development and fundamental role are clarified.Secondly,the development of modern tragic characters is discussed to reveal the different behaviors of tragic characters against social reality in different historical periods.The development of modern tragic themes is discussed again,revealing the changes of modern tragic themes under different social and cultural experiences.Finally,it summarizes the value of the practical significance of modern tragedy theory and proves the influence of its modern tragedy theory on England through vertical comparison.The modern tragedy theory with political intention contains the significance of cultural leadership and common cultural value,which lays a solid foundation for the follow-up study of British culture and tragedy theory.In short,tragedy is not only an irreparable fact,but also a social individual and the core of social order.Williams’ theory of modern tragedy plays an important role in the long revolution of society,whether it is a kind of cultural study or a part of the whole life.Dynamic modern tragedy will influence cultural and social changes.