Modem American Drama with Special Reference to O’Neill, Williams and Miller.

Abstract

Abstract This thesis is entitled “The Tragedy of the Common Man in Modem American Drama with Special reference to O’Neill, Williams and Miller. It consists of seven chapters. The first chapter is an introduction which also states the problem of the study, objectives, hypotheses and study questions. Chapter Two is ‘Literature Review’ fiuictioning as a kind of historical background that traces the origin of drama from Greek times up to Shakespearian tragedies. It is meant as a kind of historical survey with special emphasis on playhouses, playwrights, sun/iving texts and tradition. It, also, gives a general background about two tragedies Sophocles’ Oedipus, the King and Shakespeare’s Macbeth. Beside providing a theoretical fiamework for the study It also examines modern American drama. Chapter three is ‘methodology’ of the study; it explains the data gathering process and states the materials that constitute the primary and secondary sources. Chapter F our explores modem American literature with reference to two dramatists Eugene O’Neillwl1ose tragedy The Iceman Cometh is critically approached as well as Temiessee Williams’ masterpiece The Glass Menagerie. The remainder of this chapter is devoted to Miller’s biography and essays. Chapter five is devoted wholly to Miller’s greatest work Death of a Salesman, on which an exhaustive analysis pertaining to the nature and quality of the drama is presented. In the Chapter Six three of Miller’s best tragedies are dealt with. These are All my Sons, The Crucible andA View from the Bridge. Chapter Seven ‘the conclusion’ finds that these three playwright have contributed to the tradition of tragedy by writing great and successful modern tragedies that should be appreciated world-wide.