Reality in the Dramatic Works of T. S. Eliot

Abstract

According to the author, the themes which Eliot posits in his dramatic literature originate in his later poetry, especially the Four Quartets. Eliot proposes a universe in which exists two basic divisions of reality -- the secular or neutral reality and the spiritual or religious reality. In each play these two divisions are in conflict, as represented through the struggle and agony of each dramatic protagonist. The author discusses Eliot's dramatic theory and then analyzes the themes in Sweeney Agonistes, Murder in the Cathedral, and The Family Reunion.