Prefatory Note Part I. The Excess of Judgment: A Reading of Oedipus Tyrannus 1. "It was I myself": The Shape of Destiny Acting, by Knowing "In the Manner of Tragedy" 2. From Judging to Being Judged: The Story of Oedipus The Juridification of the Oracle Placing a Curse Self-Condemnation The "Curse of the Law" 3. Author and Character: Oedipus's Existence Dramatic Existence Transcendental Dramatics Excursus: The Concept of Tragic Irony 4. The Violence of Judgment: Oedipus's Experience Philosophy and Tragedy The Objectivity of Judgment Oedipus's Lament Errors Great and Small The Paradox in the Judgment of an Error 5. "Learning from Suffering": Tragedy and Life Part II. Theoretical Interlude: The Process of Tragedy 6. Toward an Aesthetics of Tragedy: From the Beautiful to Play The Suspension of the Tragic in the Beautiful Contemplation or Reflection Acting Out Action The Freedom of the Actor 7. Promise and Impotence of Play Parody of Tragedy and Tragedy of Parody: Romantic Comedy The Untragic Hero: The Dialectical Lehrstuck Meta-theater, by Meta-tragedy Part III. The Tragedy of Play 8. Tragedy and Skepticism: On Hamlet Action, by Knowledge "Madness" and Irony Dizziness of Reflection: Theater and Tragedy 9. Three Sketches: Beckett, by Muller The Score of the Feud: Samuel Beckett's Endgame Gladiators of Play: Heiner Muller's Philoktet Never: Botho Strauss's Ithaka Backnotes Bibliography

Christoph Menke develops tragedy as a modern mode of understanding in new and interesting ways. His ideas should generate quite a bit of debate not only in philosophy but also in literary studies and social theory. -- Fred Rush, University of Notre Dame Tragic Play is philosophical while also being informed by classical scholarship and aesthetic and dramaturgical theory. It is ambitious and accessible, as well as exciting. -- Martin Donougho, University of South Carolina Christoph Menke's theoretical framework is extremely dense and far-reaching, with a powerfully and consistently built argument that includes textual analyses offering interesting insights. -- Boris Gasparov, Columbia University