A Companion to Tragedy

In the Acknowledgements Bushnell refers to September 11, 2001. Although the mainly American contributors don't explicitly tie their essays to current affairs, mentioning this date and therefore summoning up the associated events, ties the genre of tragedy closer to our experiences than perhaps reading these essays might otherwise seem. This is interesting in view of the explicit premise of the Companion, in Bushnell's words, that “tragedy is inseparable from history” (p. 2). The collection of essays is a refreshing ensemble where history is restored to a critical arena where until recently literary and critical theories have been applied as...