abstract

This paper is going to analyze the works of William Shakespeare in the context of European tragedy theory and discuss how the genre upgraded itself since ancient Greek myths to Renaissance humanism and further on. It discusses the way in which Shakespeare picked up classical and European principles of tragedies and modified them and incorporated in his works ethical, cultural and social aspects. The paper focuses on thematic, structural and philosophical issues of Shakespearean tragedy with the focus on humanism, good and evil opposition, social forces influence and influence of supernatural factors. By placing Shakespeare between the European and the Eastern, the study shows that Shakespeare can portray universal human experiences yet at the same time, he mirrors the social and historical background of the Renaissance England.