Irrationality and the Tragic in Eugene O'Neill's Early Plays
Irrationality and the Tragic in Eugene O'Neill's Early Plays

Summary/Abstract: This paper presents irrationality as one of the key dramatic features in selected early plays by Eugene O’Neill, arguably the most significant American dramatist of the early 20th century. In these works, irrationality emerges as an uncontrollable force governing the behavior of his characters and ultimately shaping their often fatal actions. The interpretative analysis indicates that irrationality serves as a central driving force behind the dramatic impact of O’Neill’s early plays and functions as a threshold to the tragic, which pervades his dramatic vision.

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