Democracy and Tragedy: Today, we view and associate democracy with progress, freedom, maybe even with violence, sometimes. We have never thought that democracy’s birth in ancient Greek was linked with the art of tragedy. Rather, for the ancient Athenians, who were the architects of democracy, democracy and tragedy shared intrinsic links. The story of democracy much like a tragic tale performed on stage in Athens unfolded as a social and political order. In Greece, tragic theater of pre-democratic origin appeared as an alternate site of democratic politics in the wake of Athenian democratic revolution. So popular was tragedy that in the fifth century BCE alone, over a thousand tragedies were produced in Athens. Today we only know about Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides as the only link to this ancient art form of tragedies. But we do not view these tragedians as political philosophers who educated theatre audiences through the arts on issues of morality, politics, and philosophy. They devised their plots around conflicts, of family and state, male and female, mortal and divine, moral and immoral, and above all inside and outside of good and evil, partly to expose the argumentative nature of democracy. By depicting such conflicts in an art form, the tragedians would teach their audience that life is transitory, and that the knowledge that triggers a search for certainty and eternity, tempts to arrogance, conflict and downfall.
However, soon after the death penalty given to Socrates by the democrats the symbiosis between democracy and tragedy was fractured and thus democracy died to resurface after the French Revolution. With the appearance of European Renaissance, the Greek tragedies revived in French theaters Plots were taken from Classical Greece authors as well as from contemporary events. The tragic plays articulated a moral justification to say no to monarchical oppression and thus triggered the French Revolution (1789-1799). Again tragedy succeeded in establishing the modern democracy in France which was later on transported to other regions.
Democracy in Pakistan and India: Literature has always a twofold relation to life as lived. It is both a mirror and an escape. It depicts the role of incongruity in one’s personal as well as in the life of a society. Incongruity gives birth both to comedy and tragedy. But the one plays the role of comic relief while the other nurtures moral values. Comedies have a very little role in educating morality and are thus anti-revolutionary. Today in Pakistan we find the whole media cutting jokes and presenting comedies, ridiculing the immoral acts and deeds of the rulers and other magnates without any result. This comic relief, releases the pressure of oppression, injustice, and atrocities being committed by those in power. Five years of comic relief given by the media to the whole nation worked as a balm to their pathetic state of affairs and thus pacified their emotions instead of arousing them by presenting true picture which are in fact tragedies not comedies to be laughed at and enjoyed as jokes. Tragic literature nurtures disobedience to oppression whether by fate or by the ruling power. Any social, political, and religious system which proclaims freedom, yet stamps out disobedience, cannot speak the truth. People become free through acts of disobedience by learning to say no to oppressive power.
Democracy in India immediately gained roots on account of its Hindu culture’s mythical traditions which projects creation as a great drama of life. Its scriptures portray dramatic tragedies. Natak, theater the modern media of film and television are the mouthpiece of freedom of speech. It has been explained above that theater is the primary stage where one can raise voice as well as present oneself before an audience. It develops capacity and courage for disobedience to oppression or subjection to compulsory obedience. Today Indian art and culture is free of any check and pressure.
Democracy and Islam: There are many views for and against the compatibility of democracy and Islam. In spite of some critics pointing to the fact that the seeds of democracy are present in the spirit of Islam, it is still a big question, “Why it is difficult for the followers of Islam to accept democracy?” The most fundamental reason is that Islamic Adab or literature is devoid of the natural urge of human beings expression of inner story through fine art, theatre, drama, long story or novel; the first two genres are strictly banned and are an unforgivable sin. In Islamic Adab, we only find poetry expressing Ishq-e-haqeeqi and majazi (which is also a forbidden medium). We have only short stories teaching lessons of ethics and morality and above all laying greater emphasis on obedience to divine order. Mostly these stories instruct the believers to obey and make them feel safe and protected as long as they obey the divine order. There is very little, rather no room, to say “no” or to be disobedient to an institution or priest who uses force in one form or another, fraudulently claiming as the sole representing authority of omniscience and omnipotence. As a matter of fact, one becomes free through one’s acts of disobedience by learning to say no to power. Whereas this capacity for disobedience is the condition for freedom, freedom is also the condition for disobedience. If one is afraid of freedom, one cannot dare to say “no” and thus cannot have to courage to be disobedient.
The existence of arts, whether fine art, theater or drama are the roots of free speech which are intertwined with the concept of democracy. These insights, expressed on the canvas or presented on stage away from the pressures of everyday existence and the limitations of reality, are not only an exposition of the inner thoughts and feelings of the performers, but also urge audiences to reflect upon and empathize with each other’s imperfections. The ideas projected in arts and literature reinforces democratic freedom both at the personal level of the psyche, and at the collective level, seeping into other democratic institutions and practices. The fathers of democracy in America very smartly laid the foundation of the constitution of USA on the fundamental principles of freedom articulated by arts and literature.
Tragedy and Democracy Today: Unfortunately, the symbiosis between democracy and tragedy, which played an important role in the perfection of morality and emergence of democracy, has been socially and politically devalued in modern times. It is understandable that today our increasingly globalised society is vastly different from the problems faced by the societies that gave birth to democracy. But for the very reason that we are humans, tragedy is still alive. And despite our proclamations that we are living in an age of unparalleled progress, equality and freedom, there exists a palpable sense of dread and doubt for us also. Although separated by centuries of change from our past, our general condition is not so different. As rational, sovereign agents, we are swept up by diverse irresistible social and economic forces, which in our past were epitomized by the gods, fate and religions. What’s more, in many cases today, these realities have also directly resulted from democratic processes.
Does democracy guarantee peace and happiness, is still a big question? Why few nations have successfully adopted democracy while most of the nations and societies are reluctant to adopt it. Even as the modern perception of democracy enjoys almost universal appeal, democracy still continues to face obstacles. The one most important is the demand to expand democracy into the global realm. But the lives of citizens around the world are increasingly influenced by forces that lie beyond sovereign borders, whereas many of the institutions that shape global politics are neither transparent nor accountable to a democratic constituency.
Although Classical Greece’s democratic experience was short-lived, but its cultural symbiosis helps us to perceive that there is something deeper about democracy that makes democracy indispensable today, both to politics and to life. Tragedy by dramatizing democracy helped its appearance into an expansive worldview enfolding an understanding of proper political governance and more generally the community life. It as a clear reminder to the Classical Greek society that order could not and should not be tyrannically imposed which is still an open reminder to the modern societies. Democratic order in its true spirit is vital to prevent oppression – even with the possibility of a risk that this order, in some or many cases, can also become the source of oppression.
It is still to be figured out how to globally transplant democratic ideals when there is no institutionalized procedure of a dramatic democratic debate, pragmatic decision-making, and accountability based on justice. Above all, failure to engage many different cultures and social and religious traditions at the level of global democratic ideals may misrepresent the spirit and nature of democratic ideals. But looking back to Ancient Greece would be a worthwhile political project which can be of a great help to contemporary scholars and policy-makers, even if it only helps to highlight the view that brought democracy into existence. We know that, when the Greeks inducted democratic ideals to the theatre they started to hear voices beyond the strict and officially established political spectrum. Voices which would have otherwise remained unheard and individuals who would have been invisible began to take center stage, projecting their views and struggles presented before all others to see. They were culturally and socially compelled to expand democratic ideals further to the courts, festivals, and market places. Unfortunately with the disappearance of theatre and tragedy as its lifeline, democracy came to a downfall. If we do the same in terms of diverse cultures, traditions and religions, and project tragedy with intermittent comic reliefs, maybe we might succeed in establishing a common global culture enfolded within the democratic ideals.
Mirza Iqbal Ashraf
