While some plays do feature tragic endings where many characters die, it's important to remember that plays are diverse and exist in many different genres. Here's why this assumption is incorrect:
* Different Genres: Plays explore various themes and emotions. Comedies, romances, and even some tragedies often have happy or ambiguous endings where main characters survive.
* Dramatic Purpose: Death is a powerful tool in storytelling, but it's not the only one. Playwrights use death to explore themes of loss, mortality, and the human condition. However, they can also achieve these goals through other means like character development, conflict resolution, and societal commentary.
* Historical Context: The idea of death being a common ending might stem from classic Greek tragedies where the protagonists often met their demise. However, even in Greek tragedy, not all plays ended with death, and many later playwrights experimented with different endings.
Instead of a universal requirement, the decision to have characters die in a play is driven by the play's specific themes, genre, and the playwright's artistic vision.