ABSTRACT:
This study reviews the Western tragic drama from the perspective of social legitimization. By analyzing distinct periods of this theatrical tradition, we show how social status and heroic ethos regulate the dramatic universe, modelling aesthetic, ethic and political effects according to different‘ structures of feeling’ perceived in the history of drama. From ancient tragedy to modern drama, social legitimization, determinant for character construction, accomplishes functions that are inherent to the genres in which texts are inscribed.
Keywords:
Tragedy; Modern drama; Ethos and social status; Social legitimization; Dramatic action