Literary Tragedy Elements

Tragedy

Definition

• A type of dramatic work that presents a conflict between a heroic individual and a superior force, often resulting in defeat or destruction.

Key Elements

• Tragic Hero: A flawed character who suffers a downfall due to their own actions or circumstances.
• Tragic Flaw (Hamartia): A characteristic or error that contributes to the hero's demise.
• Hubris: Excessive pride or arrogance that often leads to the hero's downfall.
• Peripeteia: A reversal of fortune or unexpected turn of events that changes the direction of the story.
• Catharsis: The emotional purging or cleansing that the audience experiences through witnessing the tragic events.

Types of Tragedy

• Classical Tragedy: Originated in ancient Greece, characterized by a heroic protagonist, a unified plot, and a focus on the individual's fate.
• Modern Tragedy: Emerged in the 19th and 20th centuries, often featuring ordinary people, fragmented plots, and a focus on societal issues.

Examples of Tragic Works

• Greek Tragedy: Sophocles' Oedipus Rex, Euripides' Medea
• Shakespearean Tragedy: Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, Macbeth
• Modern Tragedy: Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman, Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire

Tragedy

Definition and Characteristics

• A dramatic work that presents a conflict between a heroic individual and a superior force, often resulting in defeat or destruction.
• Typically involves a heroic individual's downfall due to their own actions or circumstances.

Tragic Hero

• A flawed character who suffers a downfall due to their own actions or circumstances.
• Characteristics of a tragic hero include a tragic flaw (hamartia) and excessive pride or arrogance (hubris).

Tragic Flaw (Hamartia)

• A characteristic or error that contributes to the hero's demise.
• Examples include hubris, ambition, and greed.

Hubris

• Excessive pride or arrogance that often leads to the hero's downfall.
• Can manifest as overconfidence, disobedience, or a refusal to listen to advice.

Plot Elements

• Peripeteia: A reversal of fortune or unexpected turn of events that changes the direction of the story.
• Catharsis: The emotional purging or cleansing that the audience experiences through witnessing the tragic events.

Types of Tragedy

• Classical Tragedy: Originated in ancient Greece, characterized by a heroic protagonist, a unified plot, and a focus on the individual's fate.
• Modern Tragedy: Emerged in the 19th and 20th centuries, often featuring ordinary people, fragmented plots, and a focus on societal issues.

Examples of Tragic Works

• Greek Tragedy: Sophocles' Oedipus Rex, Euripides' Medea
• Shakespearean Tragedy: Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, Macbeth
• Modern Tragedy: Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman, Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire

Understand the key elements that make up a literary tragedy, including the tragic hero, tragic flaw, hubris, and peripeteia. Test your knowledge of this dramatic work.