The Long and the Short and the Tall: genre

Genre of ‘The Long and the Short and the Tall’

‘The Long and The Short and The Tall’ falls under the genre of war drama. It delves into the dilemmas and tensions of soldiers in extreme, life-threatening situations.
The play also has elements of psychological drama as it explores in depth the mental state and collective psyche of the soldiers who are faced with moral dilemmas.
It is inherently a tragedy as it focuses on the horrific and fatal consequences of war.

War Drama

The play embodies the characteristics typical to the war drama genre with its emphasis on the human experiences and consequences of war.
The theme of human mortality is prevalent throughout the play, depicting the grim reality involved in combat.
War dramas often focus on the psychological impact of warfare. This focus is reflected in the fluctuating dynamics and growing tensions among the characters.

Psychological Drama

In line with traditional elements of the psychological drama genre, ‘The Long and the Short and the Tall’ conveys the inner thoughts, experiences, and struggles of characters facing an extreme situation.
The play features intensive character dissections offering insights into their mental state which forms the core of the plot.
It develops a psychological pressure-cooker situation, where characters’ moral ethics, fears, and personal conflicts become the axis around which the tension of the play revolves.

Tragedy

The climatic end, and the exploration of themes such as death, courage, and loss aligns ‘The Long and the Short and The Tall’ with the genre of tragedy.
Each character’s clash of morals, and their struggle for survival, accentuates the pathos, which is typical in tragedies.
The tragic circumstances under which the characters operate leads to fatal decisions, encapsulating the sombre mood of tragedies.