Leading back to the times of Ancient Greece, literary tragedy had existed as moralistic tales told at festivals. They spoke of conflict within societies, in people and especially with the gods. In these complex stories, characters would make decisions in hope of leading themselves to an ‘ideal’ situation but end up in a situation of inescapable disaster. Centuries later, the general ideas and dramatic forms which make up these tragedies, transcends time. In the movie, West Side Story, the concept of literary tragedy exists through the plot structure, the implication of a tragic hero, and the insinuation of inevitable
