Tragedy#
Summary#
Tragedy, when viewed from the heights of the soul, no longer operates tragically; those who see from above rather than below may witness all worldly suffering without being constrained to sympathy. At its core, what constitutes the painful delight of tragedy is cruelty, and ancient and modern philosophers have erred greatly in failing to recognize this. The enjoyment of tragic sympathy, and even the sublime, derives its sweetness from this intermingled ingredient of cruelty.