Incest as tragedy: the construction of hybris in A Tragédia da Rua das Flores, by Eça de Queirós

Abstract

This paper analyzes the tragic construction of the incest motif in Eça de Queirós' A Tragédia da Rua das Flores, exploring how the author develops the narrative around hubris and fatality, central elements in classical tragedy. The aim of the study is to demonstrate how the work, although unfinished and published posthumously, has characteristics that bring it closer to the tragic model, highlighting the relationship between the protagonists Victor and Genoveva. The theoretical framework is based on the Aristotelian theory of tragedy, with emphasis on the concepts of hubris, hamartia and catharsis, as well as Goethe's radical antinomies. The analysis also considers Eça de Queirós' correspondence, in which the author expresses his intentions and fears on the subject of incest. The methodology consists of a qualitative and interpretative approach to the work, associating it with the context of realist literature and the tradition of tragedy, examining selected passages that highlight the construction of the tragic conflict and the emotions aroused in readers. As theoretical and contextual support, the text includes an explanation of Greek and modern tragedy, which helps to clarify the links between classical tragedy and its modern re-signification. The results indicate that A Tragédia da Rua das Flores is part of the tragic tradition through the idealization of love, inexorable fate and fatal punishment, culminating in Genoveva's suicide and Victor's ignorance of the truth. The analysis shows that Eça employs a harsh realism, without shocking the reader, dealing with incest with narrative sophistication, concluding that the work, even though inconclusive, presents a dramatic complexity that sets it apart within the Queirosian set.