The influence of Greek tragedy on Eugene O' Neill's work

Abstract

Ancient Greek civilization has long been considered the primary literary source of Western civilization. Therefore, it is not surprising that Greek tragedy has long influenced Western tragedy. This influence has not diminished with the passage of time, as is clearly seen in the works of Eugene O’Neill, one of the most famous modern American dramatists. O’Neill, in composing his tragedies, utilizes serveral of the elements of the early Greek tragedies, most particularly, in his plays Desire Under the Elms, Lazarus Laughed, and Mourning Becomes Electra. This thesis is an attempt to point out that these various elements of Greek tragedy, the structure, the chorus, the unities of time and place, the masks, the plot, the theme, and the characteristics of the tragic hero, have had a major influence on the work of Eugene O’Neill.