Consider Desire Under the Elms as the Tragedy of Passion. 

Answer

Consider Desire Under the Elms as the tragedy of passion. 

Or, discuss the Eben-Abbie relationship.

“Desire Under the Elms” (1924) by Eugene O’Neill (1888 – 1953) is a powerful American tragedy. The tragedy explores themes of love, lust, and the destructive force of passion. The play develops on a farm in New England. It follows the lives of the Cabot family, particularly focusing on Ephraim Cabot, his third wife Abbie Putnam, and his son Eben. The narrative is deeply rooted in Greek tragedy, embodying elements of fate, familial conflict, and the inevitable consequences of unchecked desires.

Unconventional Tragedy: Tragedy means “a play dealing with tragic events and having an unhappy ending, especially one concerning the downfall of the main character.” “Desire Under the Elms” is an unconventional tragedy. We know that there are sundry features of a traditional tragedy. In this modern tragedy, there is a lack of conventional features.

Negativity: When Cabot gets married to Abbie, Eben takes her negatively. He thinks that She has come to occupy the farmhouse. He hates her for this negative attitude. Negativity will be proved from these dialogues:

Abbie: You are Eben, are you? My name is Abbie.  I am your new mother.

Eben: No, damn you.

Eben says this in a most hostile tone.

From Hatred to Passion: Later, we find him passionate with her. From the first meeting of them, they start to quarrel. But in a quarrel, Abbie always tries to lure him. In Part 2 Scene 3, we get the description of their kissing scene. Suddenly, Abbie comes to his room and kisses him. At first, he does not want to kiss her, but ultimately, he also helps her with passionate kisses. Thus, they have come from hatred to passion.

Open Forbidden Love: Eben tells her after kissing that he thought the lips of Minnie, the local prostitute, were not hers at kissing time. We come to know that Abbie wants to be Eben’s lover. Then Abbie says to her in the following manner:

Abbie: ……. I thought that you would not go to her when I am willing to accept you as a lover.

They are step-mother- son. But there is no care about it. They are loving each other like a lover and beloved. After the kissing part, she invites him to the parlor because of their passionate desire. She says that:

Abbie: ….. Now I am going downstairs and you Mr. Eben Cabot, you will come downstairs to meet me in the parlour.

Then, very soon, she says:

Abbie: I shall expect you to follow me and come to me.

Eben goes to the parlor to meet her and have sex with her. Thus, they fulfill their forbidden passionate love.

Stubborn love between Eben and Abbie: After Having sex, they start to love each other passionately. Some days later, Abbie gives birth to a son. Abbie says to Cabot that this son is from him. But the fact is this son is from Eben. She becomes pregnant from that intercourse in the parlor. Somehow, Eben knows all the property will go to Abbie and the newborn baby. Then, he blames her for getting the child according to her plan. He threatens to leave her. He wishes that if there had been no son from Abbie, it would have been good. Abbie’s passion turns into true love at that time. She kills her son to prove his original love for him. She says,

I killed him, Eben.

Then Eben can understand that he is also responsible for murdering the son as he expresses his wish. At last, they share their punishment.

In termination, we can say that it is clear that Eben and Abbie’s passion packs up the main scenes of the play. The ending of the play is very much destructive. Thus, the play is a tragedy of passion.