The Macbeth of the American West: Tragedy, genre and landscape in Breaking Bad

Abstract

This article explores the AMC television series, Breaking Bad (2008–2013), through the lens of tragedy as it pertains to the American West (both the physical place and the west as a narrative symbol). The show is perhaps unique insofar as it frames its protagonist, Walter White (Bryan Cranston), as a figure who is simultaneously a western archetype and a tragically flawed ‘hero’ whose complex ambitions bring about his downfall. The series thus presents a powerful counterargument to George Steiner’s 1961 classic The Death of Tragedy and suggests that the American West on TV can be seen as an appropriate dramatic stage for new forms of tragic narrative.