tragedy: References & Edit History
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Additional Reading
A lengthier development of many of the points made in the first half of this article may be found in Richard B. Sewall, The Vision of Tragedy, new ed., enlarged (1980, reissued 1990). John Jones, On Aristotle and Greek Tragedy (1962, reissued 1980), examines the origins of Greek tragedy. Works concentrating on modern tragedy include George Steiner, The Death of Tragedy (1961, reissued 1996); Walter Kerr, Tragedy and Comedy (1967, reprinted 1985); and Raymond Williams, Modern Tragedy (1966, reissued 2006). Special aspects of tragedy are treated in J.M.R. Margeson, The Origins of English Tragedy (1967); and A.C. Bradley, Shakespearean Tragedy (1904, reissued 2007). A useful anthology of classic writings on tragedy is Lionel Abel (compiler), Moderns on Tragedy (1967).
Other works on the subject include Richmond Hathorn, Tragedy, Myth, and Mystery (1962); Murray Krieger, The Tragic Vision: Variations on a Theme in Literary Interpretation (1960); Dorothy Krook, Elements of Tragedy (1969); and Timothy J. Reiss Tragedy and Truth (1980). Twenty-first-century views can be found in Edith Hall, Fiona Macintosh, and Amanda Wrigley (eds.), Dionysus Since 69: Greek Tragedy at the Dawn of the Third Millennium (2004); K.M. Newton, Modern Literature and the Tragic (2008); and Sarah Dewar-Watson, Tragedy (2014).
Article Contributors
Primary Contributors
- Richard B. Sewall
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Leonard W. Conversi
Former Lecturer in English, Yale University.
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The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.
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Article History
| Type | Description | Contributor | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Modified link of Web site: Literary Devices - Understanding Tragedy: Key Elements and Literary Impact. | Oct 02, 2026 | ||
| Add new Web site: CORE - The Ethical Discourse of Tragedy and (Pseudo-) Historiography (PDF). | Feb 04, 2026 | ||
| Media added. | Feb 18, 2025 | ||
| Add new Web site: CiteseerX - Options and Diachronic Tragedy (PDF). | Feb 08, 2025 | ||
| Add new Web site: The Criterion: An International Journal in English - Conflict in Tragedy (PDF). | Dec 13, 2024 | ||
| Add new Web site: Mustansiriyah University - The Definition of Tragedy. | Oct 18, 2024 | ||
| Add new Web site: University of Vermont - Tragedy. | Jul 20, 2024 | ||
| Add new Web site: Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy - Tragedy. | Nov 08, 2023 | ||
| Add new Web site: Academia - Tragedy in broad terms refers to a form of literature genre. | Sep 29, 2023 | ||
| Add new Web site: Humanities LibreTexts - The Importance of Tragedy. | Aug 04, 2023 | ||
| Add new Web site: Oregon State University - College of Liberal Arts - What is Tragedy? || Definition and Examples. | Mar 18, 2023 | ||
| Add new Web site: Literary Devices - Tragedy. | Jan 05, 2023 | ||
| Add new Web site: Literary Devices - Understanding Tragedy: Key Elements and Literary Impact. | Oct 03, 2022 | ||
| Removed media. | Dec 20, 2021 | ||
| Corrected display issue. | Nov 13, 2020 | ||
| Changed "Maksim Gorky" to "Maxim Gorky." | Mar 10, 2017 | ||
| Media added. | May 20, 2016 | ||
| Article revised. | Dec 14, 2015 | ||
| Media added and revised. | Dec 14, 2015 | ||
| Bibliography revised and updated. | Dec 11, 2015 | ||
| Article revised and updated. | Mar 27, 2012 | ||
| Add new Web site: Fact Monster - Entertainment - Moral, Domestic, and Political Tragedy. | Dec 05, 2011 | ||
| Add new Web site: Fact Monster - Entertainment - Tragedy. | Oct 13, 2011 | ||
| Added new Web site: Brooklyn College - Tragedy. | Apr 07, 2009 | ||
| Added new Web site: h2g2 - What is Tragedy? | Apr 07, 2009 | ||
| Media added. | Apr 01, 2009 | ||
| Article revised and updated. | Jun 27, 2007 | ||
| Added new Web site: Theatre Database - The Origin of Tragedy. | May 11, 2007 | ||
| Article revised and updated. | Sep 07, 2006 | ||
| Article revised. | Aug 02, 2002 | ||
| Article revised. | Oct 19, 2000 | ||
| Article added to new online database. | Aug 23, 1998 |