Questions and Answers
What is the primary characteristic of a tragic hero?
What is the term for excessive pride or arrogance that often leads to the hero's downfall?
What is the term for the reversal of fortune or unexpected turn of events that changes the direction of the story?
What is the term for the emotional purging or cleansing that the audience experiences through witnessing the tragic events?
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What type of tragedy originated in ancient Greece and is characterized by a heroic protagonist, a unified plot, and a focus on the individual's fate?
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Which of the following plays is an example of a Greek Tragedy?
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What is the term for a characteristic or error that contributes to the hero's demise?
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Which of the following plays is an example of a Modern Tragedy?
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Study Notes
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
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Description
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.
