Topdog, the play
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This posting questions, "Is Topdog/Underdog a tragedy according to Aristotle's and Miller's criteria? Is it a tragedy according to your criteria?"
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Although the question is highly subjective, I believe that the play correlates with both definitions of tragedy. First, Arthur Miller believes that tragedy may also "depict ordinary people in domestic surroundings" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tragedy#Modern_tragedy). As a result, Topdog/Underdog also exemplifies ordinary men in ordinary settings. Since Topdog/Underdog utilizes social realism and naturalism to show how both men respond to environmental forces such as poverty and racism, Miller's definition is emphasized. Topdog/Underdog is a modern Cain and Abel story that is set in present day New York.
In addition, the play also conforms to Artistotle's definition because he asserts that the ...
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