Spirituality In The Emperor Jones

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The present paper focuses on the spiritual aspect in The Emperor Jones. The play is an excellent synthesis of realism and expressionism. The playwright has explored the contemporary social issues in the play. While discussing socio-economic problems, he also peeps into the soul of the modern men through the character of Brutus Jones. Like T.S. Eliot, he is a flash-bearer of the ethical and religious values not only of western society but also of the whole world. Although the play has social and cultural dimension, it has also spiritual dimension. O’Neill has searched his identity at social and cultural level at the same time at spiritual level. We find the socio-cultural issue at surface level but at core spirituality lingers in the play.
The play is an evidence of dissatisfaction of earlier dramatic tradition. O’Neill wanted to write about contemporary life. Earlier playwrights had little relation to the facts of life. His plays are concerned with the minute observation of modern men.
In the pursuit of material joy of life men became isolated in the world. They are careless about the religious and ethical values. The whole human race decayed due to the First World War. Modern men’s spirituality lost its way in the forest of materialism, cynicism, corruption and treachery. Brutus Jones , a self announced King of the Island, thinks …show more content…

The tragic aspect of O’Neill is undertaken by various critics. It is seen that it directed towards the discovery, through tragic form of the secret of happiness in the world of evil and suffering .The artist generally concerned with a quest or an exploration of reality. This exploration is undertaken with reference to a central character who is a tragic hero. The character becomes the symbol of all humanity. The tragic hero sets himself a goal towards which he struggles and pursues. The powers thwart him and lead him to his ruin which may climax with his

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