The Relationship between Tragedy and Evil in Two Plays – Oedipus Rex and Macbeth

The relationship between tragedy and evil is of utmost importance. Some experts believe that the emergence of tragedy depends on the occurrence of evil. Based on this belief, the formation of tragedy, is a kind of bilateral, organic and dialectical connection and relationship, and without the presence of the evil force, basically, tragedy does not occur. It is important to note that the presence and existence of evil in drama is not occasional, self-willed and not selectable; also between the evil and especially the moral evil and tragedy there is this particular bond. In the present research, two plays Oedipus Rex and Macbeth have been selected from two different periods in the history of dramatic literature, i.e., the fifth century BC in ancient Greece and the Renaissance or Elizabethan era in England. The main focus of this article is on the nature and mechanism of evil in each of the aforementioned works and how tragedy is organized by the power of evil. In the play Oedipus Rex, the main character unknowingly commits a mistake. He kills his father and marries his mother, which causes the wrath of the gods and the descent of the plague. But Oedipus is unaware of this and it is actually the gods who have determined this fate for him. Therefore, his moral evil causes natural evil, but Oedipus cannot be blamed for all this. In Macbeth, pride and ambition are the main character's weakness. He commits crimes to gain power: he kills the king and then commits other crimes. Although Macbeth, influenced by the witches preditions and his own wife's temptations, commits these crimes, his individual responsibility and will determine the most important aspects of this crime. Shakespeare's view in this play is influenced by the view of Christianity, in which the problem of sin and moral evil is the basis of subsequent sins. On the other hand, women in Macbeth, like Eve, who affected Adam to be expelled from paradise, bring Macbeth to ruin and destruction. In other words, the female gender in this play is associated with seduction and temptation, just like Christianity's view of women.  Shakespeare's works can also be measured by the principles and methods of the neoclassical school. In the first scenes of the play, images of light and brightness are used more, and in the end, images of night and darkness. The whole play is a confrontation between these two ideas in the form of a war between good and evil forces. The image of "darkness" casts a shadow over the entire play. The research method is analytical and descriptive, and by examining the type of evil in each tragedy, it was concluded that in ancient Greece, evil was a concept based on the mythological world and belief in gods and related to the concept of fate and destiny. However, in the Elizabethan era, the religious concepts of Christianity focused evil on man and his inherent nature.