modern tragedy

Modern tragedy refers to dramatic works that explore suffering, downfall, and loss in contemporary or post-classical settings, typically featuring ordinary people rather than nobles or heroes.

Where classical tragedy blamed fate or divine will, modern tragedy often locates catastrophe in social conditions, psychological forces, or the absence of meaning: Death of a Salesman is the quintessential modern tragedy.

The term also applies loosely to real-world events that feel tragic in their senselessness or preventability: The opioid crisis is a modern tragedy playing out across America.