Is Opera tragic? It certainly depicts tragic events, but is it too beautiful to be truly tragic. Is the coded nature of its existence a barrier to it becoming true tragedy? John Adams ‘The Death of Klinghoffer’ (1991) and Wagner’s ‘Tristan and Isolde’ (1859) are interesting examples to consider in this case. Certainly to argue that being coded is non tragic is to ignore how layered, and stylistically coded Greek Tragedy was. Perhaps, then, it is the overt and stylised musicality of Opera which pushes it towards another genre. Or is it just another form of tragedy, sitting the opposite end of the spectrum to the more profane and humanist English Renaissance model.