马克思和恩格斯第一次对悲剧作了科学界定。莎士比亚四大悲剧中人物与环境、人物性格内部的冲突是新与旧两个阶级、新与新的邪恶势力冲突的反映；邓肯的悲剧是旧的历史合理性毁灭的悲剧。莎士比亚的四大悲剧对文艺复兴时代的社会生活作了最充分的审美反映，揭示了当时社会生活的肯定性和否定性本质，富于审美性，是艺术美的典范。 For the first time, Marx and Engels made a scientific definition of the tragedy. The four conflicts in Shakespeare’s characters and the environment and the character’s internal conflicts are the reflection of the conflicts between the new and the old two classes, the new and new evil forces. The tragedy of Duncan is the tragedy of the destruction of the old historical rationality. The four tragedies of Shakespeare made the most aesthetic reflection of the social life in the Renaissance era, revealing the certainty and negative nature of social life at that time and being rich in aesthetics, which is a model of artistic beauty.