Zur Tragödie und Heiterkeit. Oscar Wildes Salomé - eine heitere Tragödie?

Abstract

this analysis. First, the definition and key features of tragedy will be discussed, followed by a closer look at the special circumstance of this public literary form after the 17th century in Europe. In relation to Steiner’s The Death of Tragedy, the question is raised, whether the new world view after the French Revolution had an impact on the overall perception of the tragic. As a vital example, Goethe’s evasion of the literary form of tragedy and his poetical aesthetics in West-östlicher Divan shed light on the relation between the tragic and Heiterkeit. His artistic perception is highly influenced by the arts of the orient. Based on Wilde’s essay The Decay of Lying, Goethe’s impact on Wilde’s perception of art will be outlined, at its heart is his demand to recognize art as a fully independent entity free from reality. Regarding his aesthetic approach, his tragedy Salomé will be reinterpreted, hoping to reveal his exceptional work as a combination of tragedy, Heiterkeit and the unreal.