Indiscretions | Tragedy, Victimization and Isolation
In the following essay, the critics discuss Cocteau’s use of tragedy and the victimization of the hero in his plays. They also comment on the playwright’s theme of isolation.
Almost all of Cocteau’s plays lead toward the same resolution. They are often directed toward a violent death, and the hero generally more like a victim of the drama than the tragic master of his fate. Victims of either magic spells or very special circumstances, Cocteau’s heroes submit to action more than they direct it. In Les Parents terribles it is not Yvonne who is responsible for Madeleine’s lie, but Georges and Léo; in Les Chevaliers many of the characters are replaced by a demon who takes on their appearances; and particularly in La Machine infernale...
[The entire page is 1679 words long]
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