The Tragic Hero And Butterworth s Johnny Byron - 1446 Words

Jez Butterworth undeniably flaunts the conventions of comedy in Jerusalem to create a profound but amusing philosophical satire, observing and mocking modern society. Morally objectionable ideals present in everyday life are examined and ridiculed, inevitably leading to the development of morally objectionable characters and social groups. As a result, Johnny Byron doesn’t neatly fit the definitions of either a tragic hero or a comedic protagonist but instead has traits of the two. He is both an outrageously hedonistic Falstaffian character whist arousing pity and fear, able to question the motivation of other characters whilst himself being hubristic and unable to admit error. Despite his comedic attributes, Byron’s character undoubtedly lends itself more to the tragic arc as the audience witnesses his bloody downfall from relative grace, evoking both pity and disgust. The most obvious parallel between the Aristotelian tragic hero and Butterworth’s Johnny Byron is the uncovering of his tragic flaw. Throughout the drama Byron demonstrates an inability to move on or mature, symbolised by his â€Å"fairly permanent† caravan along with the many relics of a time gone by scattered about his clearing. It’s possible that Butterworth intended this to be a metaphor for England and traditional views of Englishness (most obviously symbolised by a sign reading â€Å"Waterloo† on the side of the caravan), and that through this satire he is lamenting man’s fate as Englishness is lost through