Mourning Becomes Electra is a Tragedy of Vengeance in a New England Family - SB

Tragedy of Vengeance in a Puritan Family 

      Editor Blake Hobby Harold Bloom in his book The Taboo has stated that "…  

O'Neill ascribes to the Puritan values of the New England patrician family of Mannon,  

that is the focus of O'Neill's play and the true antagonist of Mourning Becomes  

Electra."(Page 134) 

      Dr. C. Matthew McMahon in his book  Puritan Roots: A Brief Sketch of the

Values of Puritanism, has termed the Puritan society to "have a reputation of epitomizing

the 'holier than thou' attitude, and those who were zealous for extreme ascetic piety."

This he states is a "caricature of Puritanism… Puritanism is far the opposite." (WEB)

      But as mentioned earlier the play Mourning Becomes Electra is based on the story

of revenge in a Puritan family, Dr. McMahon's claim that it is the most pious and holy

sect of Christianity, is here proved wrong. This puritan family is busy in their ideas of

incestuous love, sex and revenge. This passion for revenge leads consequently to the

downfall and a sorrowful tragedy of the family. The idea of love and sex in a Puritanical

society is said to be very pure. But, then we see that in this play the emotions of many of

the characters are very controversial.

      "It is obvious that O'Neill has put those things of tragedy as the ingredients for the  

main issue of the play with the death as the utmost end. But, death never really matters in  

tragedy. Tragedy assumes that death is inevitable and that its coming is of no importance  

compared with what man does before his death"(Page 129). 

      Eugene O'Neil has used the classical tragedy of Aeschylus to express modern  

viewpoints. We can see that O'Neill has produced the psychological disturbances of the  

modern age and how these disturbances have led to the passion of vengeance. Regardless  

of religion, every character wants the other destroyed. 

      In the review written in the magazine Life on the movie made on the play  

Mourning Becomes Electra, by the Adapter-Director Dudley Nichols, in 1947, an article  

"Eugene O'Neill's tragedy of vengeance in a New England family is a great forward step  

for Cinematic Artistry", declared the play as a "true tragedy". This is because according  

to the article "In Aeschylus the characters are ruled by supernatural forces and by Fate,  

which were highly understandable dramatic factors to the Greeks... In Mourning  

Becomes Electra, therefore, the characters are not motivated so much by outside  

influences as by their own desires, frustrations and repressions." (Page 63) 

We can see that the atmosphere of repression in the Puritan society has led the characters  

to be frustrated and thus they have become envious of each other. In Commonweal,  

Volume 15 the author has said that "... 'Mourning Becomes Electra' is not a Greek  

tragedy except in the bare outlines of the plot." (Page 46) Thus it is the reality of the  

Puritan society which O'Neill has brought forward in his works. 

      This play written by an American playwright, on an English Puritan family not  

only reveals the tragedy which vengeance has in store for it but, also that the play "… is  

at least 'Freudian' in its theme of love and hate within the family." (Page 254) 

Work Cited List:

1. "O'Neill Used Classic Tragedy To Express Modern Viewpoints". "Life". Time, Inc. 8 Dec 1947.  Page 63

2. The Taboo. By Editor Blake Hobby Harold Bloom. Infobase Publishing, 2010. Page 134

3. Commonweal, Volume 15. Commonweal Pub.Corp.,1932. Page 46

4. Krutch, Joseph Wood. 1977. Five Approaches of Literary Appreciation: Tragic Fallacy. New York: New York University Press. Page 129
5. Puritan Roots: A Brief Sketch of the Values of Puritanism. By Dr. C. Matthew McMahon. WEB