WHAT IS THE TRAGIC WORLDVIEW? - ART - 2025

The tragic worldview is a way of looking at the world from a negative point of view, thinking about everything bad that happens. In addition, the perspective is usually totally pessimistic, believing that all the events that are going to happen will end in a tragic way.

Worldview is a word that comes from classical Greek. It is made up of "cosmo", which means "world" and "vision". It is, therefore, about the way of seeing what surrounds us. The human being interprets reality through his worldview and ends up acting accordingly.

There is another word with which the worldview has been called, in this case of German origin, and which was imposed in Europe from the beginning of the 20th century. It is about Weltanschauung. Actually, it means exactly the same as its Greek equivalent.

The tragic worldview in art

The concept of the tragic worldview is associated in most cases to the field of culture. It is especially present in theater and literature, where it has a great historical trajectory.

The protagonists of these works try to escape the destiny that has been imposed on them, without finally succeeding. In the same way, negative circumstances often appear that mark the life of the human being: war, disease and, above all, death.

The Greek tragedy

It is usually presented as the beginning of this way of seeing the world to the Greek tragedy. This genre begins around the 5th century BC In the tragedy the hero appears, who cannot avoid becoming a victim. It is often handled by superior forces without being able to avoid the bitter end.

In this way, Oedipus can be used as an example. The curse of the gods means that, whatever you try, you cannot escape your destiny. The same fate as Oedipus have Electra or Antigone, for pointing out other tragic characters in the Greek tradition.

The tragic worldview beyond Greece

Beyond the Greek tragedy, there are numerous examples of works that incorporate this worldview in their arguments. One of the most recognized authors in history, William Shakespeare, has a good assortment of these lost struggles of the protagonists against fate.

From Romeo and Juliet to Hamlet, through Othello or Julius Caesar, the difficulties that are presented to them always end up defeating the main characters.

Other more modern authors, such as García Lorca in Yerma or Buero Vallejo also participate in this way of explaining and suffering the world.

Tragic worldview in society

The worldview, of whatever type, is not exclusive to art. This being an expression of society, it is normal that there have also been times when this way of seeing the world was normal in certain sectors.

As examples of tragic moments or characters in real life, we can put the great moral depression in which Spain entered after the loss of its last colonies in America, in 1898.

Similarly, a good part of German philosophy in the 19th century is infused with a pessimism that fits very well with this way of seeing the world. Nietzsche comes to speak of the Greek tragedy in some of his works and other philosophers take references that fit in that tradition.

Characters such as Salvador Allende or Víctor Jara could also fit into this worldview, although in some cases they border on the so-called epic worldview.

References

1. Pastor Cruz, José Antonio. Tragedy and Society. Obtained from uv.es
2. The Conservative Academic. An In-depth Analysis of the TRAGIC WORLDVIEW. Retrieved from theconservativeacademic.wordpress.com
3. David K. Naugle. Worldview: The History of a Concept. Recovered from books.google.es
4. Richard A. Levine. The Tragedy of Hamlet's World View. Recovered from jstor.org