Most of us harbor this mistaken idea about tragedy. Our mind binds tragedy, romantic or otherwise, with death, with destruction, with annihilation. For us tragedy is inextricably linked to non-existence, to irretrievable loss. Perhaps it is humankind’s unconscious necessity to reaffirm life and deny death. And we try to do so in all possible ways.
“Indeed, O king, with that excellent Anjalika weapon inspired with mantras into a mighty weapon, the son of Indra cut off the head of Vaikartana in the afternoon.
Thus cut off with that Anjalika, the trunk of Karna fell down on the earth. The head also of that commander of the Kuru army, endued with splendour equal to that of the risen sun and resembling the meridian sun of autumn, fell down on the earth like the sun of bloody disc dropped down from the Asta hills.”
We cry not because Karna suffered all his life for his convictions. We cry because he died at his brother’s hands.
What is Karna’s tragedy? Is it the death he received at his brother’s hands? No. Karna becomes the only standing protagonist at the precise moment of his death. The sage tells us vividly – “Till now there weren’t any and from now on too there will not be any.” At least for a moment Karna was given his due. And it was Death, being more benevolent than Suyodhana, that caused it.
“I kiss'd thee ere I kill'd thee: no way but this;
Killing myself, to die upon a kiss.”
(Falls on the bed, and dies)
We cry not because Othello killed or kissed Desdemona, we grieve because at the end of the play he, our object of love, ceased to exist.
What is tragic about Othello? Is it his death? Never. Is there anything more glorious for a tough man than to get stabbed by himself? Is there anything more romantic for a man than to die kissing his beloved? If he hadn’t killed himself, he would have been nothing but Iago. With that one act Shakespeare carved a hero out of Othello. Death, being more benevolent than Love, again made a protagonist out of a mere mortal.
This makes Oedipus Rex more tragic than Othello. And Ashwathama than Karna. Death didn’t contaminate their dreadful tragedy; at least we didn’t mourn their deaths thereby redeeming their lives. They did not get a salvation called Death before their story ended and this makes them truer tragic heroes.
