... the Elms. Desire Under the Elms represents one of the supreme moment in the history of American tragedy, because it is "the first important tragedy to be written in America."19 O‟Neill‟s treatment of the story seems almost Greek, both in the specific similarities and in the atmosphere of determinism. In a letter to A.H Quinn in 1925, O‟Neill stated the impact of Greek theatre had upon Desire ... she later kills the infant when she sees it as an obstacle between herself and Eben, engaged, turns Abbie over to the Sheriff, but in the final scene, he is convinced of her love, and he a...

• Word Count: 9352
• Approx Pages: 37
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School