u like??

[Salafi_Online]

Bismillah;

 

What makes tragic plays such Shakespeare's Hamlet,Othallo, ect... soo appealing, When tragedies elecit bad emotions/feelins?

 

Is Hamlet a depressing play? if yes, why do people pay to see it?If no, are the death of Hamlet,King lear and his daughter gratifying?

 

Please share ur views on this.

What makes Tragedy appealing, such that people are willing to pay to see them?

[juba]

this kinda reminds me why pple laugh at some1 when they hurt themelves!? i think its cause people want to see others that are worse of then themsleves, it oddly makes them feel better. i guess its a self esteem issue.

[Salma]

I don't think its a matter of Tragedy or Comedy (Happy things), what attracts people more is the good works coz they were done in a successful and appealing way.

 

"What makes Tragedy appealing, such that people are willing to pay to see them?"

 

People don't pay only for tragic works that contains suffersing,tragedy,agony,heartfeelings and misery; the reality is that people pay for what they believe its amusing or excellent job whether it will make them cry or laugh.

 

I mean watching "Titanic","Gone with the wind", or Shakespeare, Virgina Woolf,Charles Dickens's or Victor Hugo, Jean Paul Sartre works for 10 times won't make the audience happy and fresh. All their jobs are full of negativity/blackness but coz their works were written perfectly & later screened well which makes the audience watch them several times regardless of the tragedy inside these works.

 

There are many plays and books that contains misery,sickness & tragedy but they didn't succeed as Shakespeare's works and didnt attract the audience and nobody paid a neckle for it, why?! Coz they were not written in the same fascinating way of Shakespeare and the succesful authors, that's all. Why the "Les Misérables" by Victor Hugo & "The Crime & Punishment" by Dosetovesky,,etc are still successful after all these years? Coz they expressed the feelings,emotions,ideas of their characters in a wonderful way thats why these works were categorized under the the best great works.

 

At the other hand, there are many other works that attract people which are containing any tragedy like Ian Fleming's "James Bond", Austin Powers, many musical, comic plays, movies & Operahs that I can't recall now.

 

So, bottomline, Tragedy is not always appealing, what really appeals are the Good works by good authors.

[NGONGE]

Tragedy and comedy (though the latter is self evident) are appealing. The death of Hamlet, Ophelia and Macbeth were all very fascinating to anyone reading Shakespeare’s works. The Deaths of Hector in the Iliad, Achilles and Patroclus were breathtaking.

 

The point of any such literary works is to convey the emotions, the drama and the overall absurdity of life. In Shakespeare’s tragedies, the audience, though many are likely to be contemporary students, doctors or Taxi drivers, identify with the situation the prince of Denmark finds himself in. As the plot unfolds, so too do the emotions and feelings of the readers of the tale! The issues Shakespeare dealt with are still valid even in today’s crazy world and those sampling his works for the first time find solace in the bard’s ability to analyse human nature and expose the vulnerability and depth of his characters for all to see. Such weaknesses and strengths, we all have! Such great masterpieces feed our fear and anxiety.

 

In addition, many of these tragedies deal with moral quandaries. Hamlet’s timeless soliloquy for instance, deals with the idea of suicide “to be or not to beâ€! He chooses not to commit suicide because it’s not, according to his faith and responsibilities, the right thing to do. How many suicidal fellows would nod in agreement (or partial agreement) as they read those words and observe Hamlet’s self-examination?

 

Macbeth on the other hand was an evil fellow who was driven by ambition and was goaded by his wife to kill all before him and become king. Still, despite that, he had some humanity in him and was troubled by his own virtues. It’s this close inspection of his own characters that makes Shakespeare’s tragedies worth watching. The plots might be different, but in our own lives, we too are faced with situations, moral predicaments and troubles as those confronting the characters of a tragic play. Art is but an imitation of life (as the saying goes), and where in real life one would be utterly absorbed in the “problem†to enjoy it’s cruel attraction, in plays, books and movies one is at liberty to sample such tragedies and reflect upon the complexity of life from a safe distance. Ultimately, it’s a reminder of our own mortality and lack of control.

 

Shakespeare and many other talented storytellers are in the upper echelons of those able to convey such feelings, fears and views so vividly. However, even the most average of tragic tales would still receive a glimpse (though fleeting at times) from most. Think of hospital dramas on TV, think of Horror movies or even sad and very contrived folktales. People still seek out such stories and revel in the melancholic feelings they generate! Tragedy is appealing and pain and pleasure often overlap.