The Tragedy of the Duchess:
(A poetic critic of the film The Duchess according to Poetics by Aristotle) Aristotelian poetics captures deep insights into humans and our expression of deep emotions. As I watched The Duchess I was able to relate Aristotle’s definitions of tragedy to this film. The movie’s protagonist is Georgina. In the beginning of the movie she becomes engaged to the Duke of Devonshire. A very prestigious match, that allows Georgina to move up socially. This sets up the beginning of the tragedy; Georgina starts out in a high place and thus begins her tragic fall. Throughout the movie, Georgina is established as the protagonist of the tragedy. We also experience fear and pity, through several events in the plot of the movie. …show more content…
She is married to the Duke of Devonshire; she is wealthy beyond belief; and she has immense social control. Throughout the film the Duchess begins to realize that her husband isn’t faithful. She also comes to realize that her husband doesn’t love her and only wants an heir from her. She becomes frustrated with her marriage and her husband’s behavior, but that is just the beginning. The true fall happens when she invites a woman named Bess to stay with them. Bess was having her own marital problems and Georgina saw herself in Bess. The woman became fast friends. Little did Georgian know that bring Bess into her home would bring her down fall. Her husband took Bess as his mistress and continued to destroy Georgina. Georgina begins to crumble, at one point in the movie she becomes so drunk she lights her wig on fire. An example from Oedipus Rex is when Oedipus sends for the messenger which leads to his own downfall. “Nonetheless, send a man to bring that farm hand here. Will you do it?” (Sophocles). This quote is where Oedipus asks Jocasta to send for the servant that witnessed the murder of …show more content…
The movie also has a sound beginning, middle, and end. In the end of the movie, Georgina returns to the Duke for the sake of their children; she finds an uneasy truce with the Duke, and her friendship with Bess rekindles. She is forced to give up the child she conceives with her lover, but returns to society. The tragic part of the ending is she doesn’t get to be with man she conceives with her lover, but returns to society. The tragic part of the ending is she doesn’t get to be with man she loves, or one of her children. These are a result of her decisions that came from her tragic flaw, ignorance and fool heartedness. Aldous Huxley said, "We participate in tragedy. At comedy we only look." (Wheeler). This quote shows the importance of tragedy on our lives. We experience tragedies when we watch them; we become a part of the suffering, Comedians we watch and enjoy but don’t
(A poetic critic of the film The Duchess according to Poetics by Aristotle) Aristotelian poetics captures deep insights into humans and our expression of deep emotions. As I watched The Duchess I was able to relate Aristotle’s definitions of tragedy to this film. The movie’s protagonist is Georgina. In the beginning of the movie she becomes engaged to the Duke of Devonshire. A very prestigious match, that allows Georgina to move up socially. This sets up the beginning of the tragedy; Georgina starts out in a high place and thus begins her tragic fall. Throughout the movie, Georgina is established as the protagonist of the tragedy. We also experience fear and pity, through several events in the plot of the movie. …show more content…
She is married to the Duke of Devonshire; she is wealthy beyond belief; and she has immense social control. Throughout the film the Duchess begins to realize that her husband isn’t faithful. She also comes to realize that her husband doesn’t love her and only wants an heir from her. She becomes frustrated with her marriage and her husband’s behavior, but that is just the beginning. The true fall happens when she invites a woman named Bess to stay with them. Bess was having her own marital problems and Georgina saw herself in Bess. The woman became fast friends. Little did Georgian know that bring Bess into her home would bring her down fall. Her husband took Bess as his mistress and continued to destroy Georgina. Georgina begins to crumble, at one point in the movie she becomes so drunk she lights her wig on fire. An example from Oedipus Rex is when Oedipus sends for the messenger which leads to his own downfall. “Nonetheless, send a man to bring that farm hand here. Will you do it?” (Sophocles). This quote is where Oedipus asks Jocasta to send for the servant that witnessed the murder of …show more content…
The movie also has a sound beginning, middle, and end. In the end of the movie, Georgina returns to the Duke for the sake of their children; she finds an uneasy truce with the Duke, and her friendship with Bess rekindles. She is forced to give up the child she conceives with her lover, but returns to society. The tragic part of the ending is she doesn’t get to be with man she conceives with her lover, but returns to society. The tragic part of the ending is she doesn’t get to be with man she loves, or one of her children. These are a result of her decisions that came from her tragic flaw, ignorance and fool heartedness. Aldous Huxley said, "We participate in tragedy. At comedy we only look." (Wheeler). This quote shows the importance of tragedy on our lives. We experience tragedies when we watch them; we become a part of the suffering, Comedians we watch and enjoy but don’t