So, yesterday, a friend asked what the terms "tragically beautiful" and "beautifully tragic" mean, because of course they're mentioned in Wicked.
I offered my own thoughts and then decided to Google both, just to see what came up. And the result amazed me.
I've always interpreted "tragically beautiful" to mean that Nessa is so beautiful that it's heartbreaking. Whether that's because no-one should be that beautiful, or beacause she's so much more beautiful than anyone else...
But the interesting thing is, just for fun, I googled "tragically beautiful" and 2 things caught my eye (Actually 3 things, because the question was asked by someone who "heard it in a play and wasn't sure what it meant" and I was like "Wicked!") but the 2 answers where I was like wow were: "someone who is a beautiful person inside and out or just one of those, but this person is destined for tragedy or destined to cause tragedy."
Sound familiar? Boq might have something to say about that idea!
The other quote was "Form with out substance is the best definition I saw. It is someone that is so beautiful but yet so empty inside."
Both of which I think sum up Nessa perfectly. Not that she's "empty inside", but well, there's a certain scene in Act 2 that would have some people agreeing, I think.
As for "beautifully tragic", I've always taken that to mean that Elphaba is the perfect example of what it means to be tragic.
Beautiful, in this instance, means "perfect". And then again, when I Googled just before writing this to see what other people had said, I came across this quote about what is needed for the "perfect tragedy":
"Qualities of a perfect tragedy to keep in mind: -A saddening, yet meaningful ending. -A tragic hero; one who has outstanding, yet disadvantageous qualities that eventually contribute to his or her demise -A message that offers an understanding of life and reality."
All of which to me screams Elphaba and Wicked!
That is so weird... and amazing! They both do sum up each character well!
ReplyDeleteI took the words "tragically beautiful" to mean that it is tragic that Nessa is beautiful. It is tragic because she's in a wheel chair so people only see her as that "girl in a wheel chair" instead of seeing her as just beautiful. In Elphaba's case she is beautifully tragic because that is how she sees herself. She thinks she is worthless and a tragedy. The phrase is said as a joke but it is so powerful because later in the musical Elphaba becomes just the opposite of how she saw herself before. She becomes powerful and beautiful in Fiyero's eyes. Nessa eventually gains the ability to walk and then is crushed by a house and killed. So the roles are switched. In the end Elphaba is tragically beautiful and Nessa is beautifully tragic.
ReplyDeleteFrom google...
ReplyDeleteit means that there may be tragedy behind a beautiful appearance. A beautiful woman, for example, may have been raped or subject to another kind of brutality. Sometimes one can see the pain laying behind the exterior, in the eyes, or the demeanor of the person.
From google...
ReplyDeleteTragically Beautiful-there may be tragedy behind a beautiful appearance. A beautiful woman, for example, may have been raped or subject to another kind of brutality. Sometimes one can see the pain laying behind the exterior, in the eyes, or the demeanor of the person.