Analysis of the Tragedy of the Characters in Beyond the Horizon

Beyond the Horizon is the famous work of an American playwright, Eugene O'Neill. In 1936, he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature that establishes him a reputation in the field of literature. Until now he has been the only American playwright who got the prize. The drama describes the pursuit of dreams of three young people in the American countryside in twentieth centu-ry.By analysis of the tragedy of Robert, Andrew and Ruth, the thesis aims to explore the cause of the tragedy and the tragic connota-tions embodied in the drama. By the study of the personalities of the three main characters, the author's experience and the back-ground of the times,we find that there are three major causes for the tragedy. First, each individual has their own flaws in personali-ties that bring them to a tragic end. Second, they are unable to meet the rapid change of times. Finally, the family is also a cause for their tragic fate. Besides, O'Neill displays the theme of conflict between dream and reality, and self-consciousness in the drama. The road to fulfill dreams in life is full of twists and turns. To realize our dreams, we need not only to overcome our cowardice, but also to adjust ourselves to the social environment and the surrounding environment.