Tragedy

Synopsis

Radio programme. Together with guests Professor George Steiner and Professor Catherine Belsey, presenter Melvyn Bragg examines the history of the genre of tragedy and examines whether we (still) have a psychological need for it, either as catharsis or Schadenfreude. How tragic are Shakespeare’s tragedies in comparison to the Greek play on the one hand, and modern notions of the ‘tragic’ on the other.

Series

In Our Time

Language

English

Country

Great Britain

Medium

Multimedia; Radio

Transmission details

2 Dec 1999 at 09:02 (Channel: BBC Radio 4)

Duration

30 mins

Credits

Producer

Charlie Taylor

Contributor

Catherine Belsey; George Steiner; Melvyn Bragg

Additional Details

Production type

Documentary/Educational/News

Plays

Hamlet; Macbeth; Othello; Timon of Athens

Subjects

Drama

Keywords

literary theory; Shakespeare, William (1564-1616); tragedy

Notes

Textual information

George Steiner, The Death of Tragedy (Faber and Faber, 1961)
Catherine Belsey, The Subject of Tragedy: Identity and Difference in Renaissance Drama (Methuen, 1985)

Production Company

Name

BBC

Notes

The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Archive

Name

British Library Sound Archive

Email

listening@bl.uk

Web

http://www.bl.uk/nsa External site opens in new window

Phone

020 7412 7676

Fax

020 7412 7441

Address

96 Euston Road
London
NW1 2DB