The Definitive Tragedies — страница 2

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Stonehenge, when she realizes that she cannot escape her destiny. When the authorities come, she goes silently; she does not fight. She has recognized the mistake she made in murdering Alec D’Urberville, whatever his crimes against her may have been. She knows she cannot be forgiven, and she foresees her execution. Hardy reminds the reader of Tess’s nobility at the end, only making her death more tragic. The loneliness of her death, and the way her life affected those around her serves to bring forth feelings of sympathy in the reader at her execution. In the case of Michael Henchard, however, it is not until after his death that his recognition of his own failures becomes apparent. In the letter that is given to Elizabeth Jane, Michael is forgiven of his sins, and becomes a

true tragic hero by inspiring feelings of pity and sympathy in the reader. It is not until this letter is read, though, that the reader is sure that Michael has realized his mistakes. In addition, the image of the starved, withered, goldfinch, a gift given in love, compared to that of the starved, withered, Michael Henchard, evokes a sympathy for Henchard. Though it cannot be argued that many of his problems were direct results of his mistakes, the reader is forced to feel that somehow he has been a victim of fate, that things could never have worked out for this poor man, no matter what his decisions. These three characteristics, the elevation of the tragic hero, a basic character flaw, and the hero’s recognition of his or her own failures are what make Tess of the

D’Urbervilles and The Mayor of Casterbridge modern tragedies. Though the interpretation of these basic characteristics has changed with the times, these tragedies evoke the same feelings of sympathy, fear, and pity in the reader, bridging a gap between the times of the great philosophers, and a world struggling with revolutions of all kinds.