Wednesday, 8 July 2020

Hardy as Tragic artist or Hardy's Tragic Vision

Thomas Hardy goes against Aristotle & Shakespeare in writing Tragedy, because of being pessimist. He does not follow the rules which are defined by Aristotle and Shakespeare. Though rules of Aristotle are followed by many Tragedians in many centuries, but Hardy ignores them. He redefines the meaning of Tragedy in his novels. Hardy’s Tragedies are combination of the following:

Coincidence
Unfavorable events
Fate 
Chance

        The combination of above elements in tragedy is called Hardian Tragedy. 

In writing Tragedy Thomas Hardy differs from Aristotle & Shakespeare. According to Aristotle the protagonist of novel must have Hamartia, which becomes the cause of his downfall, but Hardy’s protagonists does not have any flaw in their character, its fate & chance which leaves them with no way but destruction and suffering. Aristotle says that the main character of novel must be from elite & noble class, but in Hardy’s Tragedies the main character is from lower & poor class.

In Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” the protagonist is from elite class. He has Hamartia of indecisiveness, which becomes the cause of his downfall. But in Hardy’s “Tess of D’Urbervilles” the main character “Tess” has no any Hamartia, it’s fate & chance which becomes the cause of her downfall and she is from lower and poor family.

To conclude, Hardy’s tragic vision is different from other common writers. So, it cannot be said that his has defect in his Tragedies; he has his own way of writing Tragedy and it make him a successful tragedian of Victorian period.

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