Around 1800 the modern tragedy manifested itself in constant dispute with a philosophical tragedy discourse, making the traditional genre criteria which were still mainly oriented on Aristotle's drama aesthetics fade into the background and bringing to the fore definition attempts which were grounded in cultural theory. The tension between the philosophical discourse and concrete theatre practice led in the 19th and 20th centuries to initiatives of drama-aesthetic innovation which lastingly changed the physiognomy of modern tragedy.

Thorsten Valk, Klassik Stiftung Weimar und Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena; Daniel Fulda, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg.