The form of tragedy is not archaic. Not only has it survived these thousands of years, but tragic stories still make us think and feel like no others. Few, if any other forms stir the same kind of passion in our hearts. Though the common tragic hero, the king, is relegated to antiquity, the tragic story is still powerful. ?It is inconceivable that the mass of mankind should cherish tragedy above all other forms, let alone be capable of understanding it? if it only applied to the highly-placed. The common man is an equal or better substitute for a king when we look at the cause and effect of tragic stories.
A tragic hero must feel indignation. Who else but the put-upon and those oppressed feel that most? That indignation comes only after an evaluation of self and results in a battle against the tragic hero?s present circumstances. Whether he is contending personal demons or societal ills, the common man is bound to suffer more than any king of old.
Besides indignation, there must be a fear of being displaced. ?In fact, it is the common man who knows this fear best.? As stated before, the tragic hero may be battling himself or society, but, at any rate, his position is much more vulnerable than that of the mighty.
Of course, this new definition of tragedy applies only to those indignant men who engage in ?active retaliation? against their circumstances. Their tragic stories could be seen as a marriage between two cliches; ?no pain, no gain? and ?nothing to lose.? There is a ?terror and a fear? when
everything is questioned, but that is the only way an indignant hero can triumph over adverse conditions. Equal weight can be given to tragic heroes that act out of fear or outrage, the point is that enlightenment can only be found after taking drastic action.
The final result ought to be the reinforcement of the onlooker's brightest opinions of the human animal? Whether he has succeeded or failed, we have at least witnessed a stunning example of the Everyman deciding to overcome complacency and take on the quotidian. Putting former notions of servility aside, we should be overjoyed that one of our own kind has raised his voice - even if that?s all he was able to accomplish.
Just as not every drone is a fit tragic hero, not every writer can convey the majesty of one man?s struggle, especially if he (the hero) is not successful. The author must fully understand the character he has created and the set of conditions his potential hero is placed in. Without the ring of truth, of utter familiarity, the protagonist?s story will fall short of even the abstract majesty of the tragic king. The new tragedy is a fully human story - for better or for worse.