Cat on a Hot Tin Roof Compared to Greek Dramas Essay

The Greek drama is the earliest type of play, making one expect a plethora of plays, both modern and classical, that are based on the structure of a Greek drama. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof has several elements of the Greek drama that add to its charm. Among these elements are the unities, the modes of persuasion, and the tragic flaw.

The unity of time is applied by Tennessee Williams in this play. The unity of time states that the time span of a play should be close to that of the time for the events of the story to take place. For example, if a play were to be performed in two hours, the story should be in a span of two hours. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof takes place over a set amount of time. Each act flows seamlessly, signifying that no time passes in between acts. Therefore, the time that flies by in one act is the amount of time needed to perform it. Even though Oedipus the King by Sophocles doesnt have multiple acts, it employs the unity of time like all Greek dramas do. In this respect, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof is a Greek drama.

Another aspect of Greek drama, the unity of place, is employed in this play. The unity of place states that action is limited to one or two adjacent place. Cat on a Hot Tin Roofs setting is Big Daddys house, with all the action generally happening in one of his many bedrooms. Although some events occur in outside establishments, such as the Oschner Clinic, it does not affect the setting because they are only mentioned and do not occur during the play. Some action would occur in the rooms adjacent, but they were not visible to any of the main characters, such as a servant picking up a phone or moving the Cadillac. In Macbeth, King Macbeth traveled to the witches lair, far from his castle Inverness. In Oedipus the King, Sophocles chose a setting that was used throughout the entire play. This is another element of Greek drama is that present in Tennessee Williams play.

The third unity is the unity of action, which states that there is a single set of incidents. Two commonly read works, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald and Much Ado about Nothing by William Shakespeare, do not follow this standard due to subplots found in them. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, unlike the aforementioned works, lacks a subplot that diverts attention from the main set of incidents. Big Daddy is going to die, and everyone is working around that fact. There is no relationship that does not affect or is not affected by Big Daddys imminent death. In Oedipus the King, all attention is focused on finding Laius murderer. It is in this regard that Cat on a Hot Tin Roof is similar to that of a Greek drama.

The modes of persuasion are rhetorical devices used in Greek drama to identify appeals by their basis. The three modes of persuasion, each of which is used in the play, are ethos, an appeal based on authority, pathos, an appeal based on emotion, and logos, an appeal based on logic. In Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Big Daddy uses ethos in his discussion with Brick. Big Daddy believes he has authority because of his experience in the world and his travels. Because he saw that young child serving as a prostitute, Big Daddy can supposedly boss Brick around. Pathos is used by Brick in the same conversation. When his homosexuality and friendship with Skipper are brought up, Brick becomes enraged. He angrily asks Big Daddy why his wholesome friendship with Skipper is seen by many as impure. His emotion causes Big Daddy to calm down and be calmer in his tirade. The third mode of persuasion, logos, is used by Gooper during his conversation with Big Mama. Because he is a lawyer, he is skilled at manipulating data and facts, allowing him to manifest a plan in which he receives the large estate. In his attempt to convince Big Mama, he uses the logic behind his plan. The logic behind his plan did not appeal to Big Mama.

The tragic flaw is what leads to the downfall of the protagonist of Greek drama. Bricks tragic flaw is his supposed homosexuality. One of the things Brick cherished most was his friendship with Skipper. Maggie ruined it by believing that Brick and Skipper were lovers. This could have lead to Skippers death and Bricks hate of Maggie. To get away from the mendacity of the world, Brick drinks Echo Springs. His alcoholism is his downfall in the play. It may not be as severe as the self-inflicted punishment Oedipus received, but it did cause him to break his ankle and threaten his job.

If Cat on a Hot Tin Roof were to be performed, minimal settings and few characters would be used. A theater facing the sea and a chorus arent necessary because Cat on a Hot Tin Roof can already be categorized as a Greek drama.