Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player,
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.
Macbeth
William Shakespeare
Guess there are times when we all need to share a little pain
Sad Song (Say so Much)
Elton John/Bernie Taupin
In the post Emotional Screenwriting (Tip #53) I pointed out how many great films deal with the core emotions of joy, sadness, fear, and anticipation. With sadness due to a loss as perhaps the common element that runs through all the varied lists of great films. The more I thought about that, the more I realized that that could also be said of the greatest plays in the history of theater.
The Cherry Orchard/ Chekhov
Hedda Gabbler/Ibsen
A Glass Menagerie/ Williams
Death of a Salesman/Miller
Long Day’s Journey Into Night/ O’Neil
King Lear/Shakespeare
Prometheus Bound/ Aeschylus
Oedipus Rex/Sophocles
Medea/Euripides
I’m aware that the list of plays that come to my mind are a somewhat subjective—though they are all considered classics. But as my mind continued to think of other plays and playwrights, there does seem to be a recurring theme of sadness/loss: Sam Shepard, Sean O’Casey, George Bernard Shaw, Tracy Letts, Beth Henley, August Wilson, David Mamet, Edward Albee, The Visit (Durrenmatt), Ruined (Nottage), The Odd Couple (Simon), Equus (Shaffer) A Trip to Bountiful (Foote).
Is it any wonder why so many writers battle with melancholy, depression, and alcohol and drug abuse?
If the six root emotions are happy, sad, angry, fear, disgust and surprise—which emotion gets the majority of stage time? Which emotion is best represented in the most memorable movie scenes you recall? Which emotion is most represented in your writing?
[…] Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player, That struts and frets his hour upon the stage, And then is heard no more. It is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing. Macbeth William Shakespeare Guess there are times when we all need to share a little pain Sad […] Original Source… […]
Congratulations, Scott. Your post wonderfully rediscovers Tragedy in its most innocent form. After all, High Concept is really nothing more than a lazy simile for Tragedy or Comedy. Well done!