In A View from the Bridge and Ethan Frome, the main protagonists are tragic characters. The origin of a tragedy comes from Greece, where the basis of the idea was a drama in which the protagonist is defeated by a superior force or extreme circumstances; this usually resulted in either disaster or death. As is the case with most Greek tragedies, the end of the world is shown before the fall itself. Most of the victims of the tragedy were described as tall, like royalty, but Ethan Frome and Eddie Carbone were ordinary men who found themselves in extraordinary circumstances. Arthur Miller said in his famous essay ““The Tragedy of the Common Man,” Arthur Miller states, “I believe that the common man is a subject of tragedy in the highest sense of the word that were the kings. "₅ In both texts, Ethan Frome and Eddie Carbone's reactions are determined by themselves as a character, with external factors acting as a catalyst to initiate their downfall. The outcome of the tragedy is foreshadowed in both texts by the author. Relevant to both texts is Arthur Miller and Edith Wharton's use of an external narrator. . The narrator used in Ethan Frome, a businessman intrigued by Ethan to his surroundings "He seemed part of the mute melancholy landscape, an embodiment of its frozen unhappiness"₂ This description suggests that Ethan is very withdrawn and has been. affected by unfortunate circumstances Using the word "mute"₂ to describe him makes it seem like he is not himself in his entirety, as if he is holding back and suppressing his full personality. can be traced...... middle of paper...... incapacitated lives. Whereas it is Eddie's character traits that are exposed by the characters and circumstances. His active role in his downfall meant that "the situation inevitably slid toward disaster."₈ Both protagonists are victims of tragedy brought on by the individual characters themselves as well as by external elements. wps.ablongman.com/wps/media/objects/130/133428/glossary.html₂. Ethan Frome Written by Edith Wharton. Published by Wordsworth Classics. ISBN: 978-1-84022-408-5₃. Nature of tragedyPublished byISBN:₄. Comparison of students with Arthur Miller. Published by Susan CW Abbotson. ISBN: 0-131-30949-3₅.₆. A View from the Bridge by Arthur Miller. Published by Penguin Group. ISBN: 978-0-141-18996-3₇. www.neh.gov/whoweare/miller/biography.html₈. wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn