Exploration On Eagleton's Tragedy Theory

As the main representative of contemporary Western Marxism in England,Eagleton's theoretical thought has an important position,and his tragedy theory also deserves attention.The study of Eagleton's tragedy theory can perfect and supplement the study of the western modern tragedy theory,and also has a very important reference for the social development of our country.This paper mainly explains Eagleton's tragedy theory from four aspects.The first chapter analyzes the formation of Eagleton's tragedy theory from four aspects: the background of the times,personal experience,theoretical background and academic origin.First of all,Eagleton's tragedy theory is a response to the upheaval in Eastern Europe and the 911 incident,and it is also related to Eagleton's tragic experience of growing up.Secondly,influenced by the low tide of Western Marxism,the shift of culture theory and the debate on the decline of tragedy,Eagleton's tragedy theory inherits the tragedy theories of Marx,Engels,Raymond Williams and Benjamin in academic field,and develops,discards and breaks through in the aspects of tragic characters and conflicts,the relationship betweentragedy and revolution,forming his own unique theory system.Chapter two and chapter three discuss the connotation of Eagleton's tragedy theory.The second chapter combs Eagleton's tragedy theory based on the traditional vision.The scope of tragedy in Eagleton's theory includes tragedy art,tragedy reality and tragedy concept,so it belongs to the cultural tragedy theory.In terms of tragedy characters,Eagleton thinks that tragedy characters tend to be civilian,in which scapegoats play a particularly important role.In terms of tragedy conflicts,Eagleton thinks that tragedy conflicts include the opposition between inevitable fate and free will and the opposition between law and cross-border desire,and he thinks the conflicts is rooted in human body and life.The third chapter expounds Eagleton's theory of the modern meaning of tragedy.Eagleton believes that tragedy plays a role in exploring the meaning of life,criticizing the concept of enlightenment modernity and calling for political revolution,so tragedy still has an important significance in modern society.The fourth chapter discusses the significance of Eagleton's tragedy theory.First of all,from the perspective of the construction of tragedy theory,Eagleton's tragedytheory reverses Steiner's theory of tragedy decline,subverts the positive tradition of western tragedy theory,and provides reference for the development of modern tragedy theory in China.Secondly,Eagleton uses tragedy to counteract enlightenment modernity and explore the relationship between tragedy and revolution,which constitutes the criticism of capitalism and complements the aesthetic modernity criticism and postmodernism.Moreover,Eagleton's tragedy theory focuses on negation,facing up to the negative and containing hope,which also has reference significance for the modernization in China.Therefore,this paper establishes the research system of Eagleton's tragedy theory from formation to connotation and then to significance.