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Tragedy Viewed from a Kohlberg Stage

This thesis evaluates tragic characters from three representative tragedies, Macbeth, Antigone, and Death of a Salesman, in terms of Lawrence Kohlberg's six stage theory of moral development. A tragic character's moral judgment is described as being founded on universal values and principles which determine stage placement. The tragic situation is precipitated by conflict experienced by a character between his present stage form of evaluation and the more preferred, differentiated and integrated form of the next higher stage. Since Kohlberg's theory is cognitive-developmental with the moral principle of justice emerging autonomously at the stage six level, its application aids in supporting a view of tragedy based on a moral order having justice as its highest principle and on a continuity independent of historical and cultural influence.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:unt.edu/info:ark/67531/metadc504581
Date08 1900
CreatorsMcGraw, Martha Gail
ContributorsKobler, J. F. (Jasper Fred), 1928-, Mitchell, Giles R., Stevens, L. Robert
PublisherNorth Texas State University
Source SetsUniversity of North Texas
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeThesis or Dissertation
Formatvii, 119 leaves, Text
RightsPublic, McGraw, Martha Gail, Copyright, Copyright is held by the author, unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved.

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