Poetics

The Greek culture is renowned for political reforms (demokratia), architecture (such as the Parthenon) and the arts - however, one of their most important contributions deals with our understanding of revenge and cruelty. One salient example of cyclic revenge and the effects it can have on others is present in Aeschylus’s play “The Libation Bearers”. Before delving into the Greek Tragedy unit, I had little interest or admiration for these great works - now my outlook has evolved. Although “The…

Destiny, passion, tragedy- these are themes that are cruel, but unfold in such a horrifyingly beautiful way in the world of literature. The idea of “the tragic hero” is, for many, a familiar one, romanticised in world-famous literary pieces and plays, including many of Shakespeare’s most popular works. Though commonly used, this concept- if done well- is nothing short of intriguing, and investigating its progression can be fascinating. While not presented in the romantic yet macabre fashion of…

Oedipus the King Aristotle explains that tragedy stirs two emotions, pity and terror. These emotions are shown through the words and actions of the actors in the play. When writing a tragedy play the author puts elements of both in his/her play. When I read Oedipus the King I personally see both emotion and tragedy. What one person might see as terror another reader could interpret as pity. Different experiences can change your perspective on someone else's tragedy. The definition of pity is,…

The term tragic hero is defined as a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities, but also has a dramatic downfall. Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart gives us a perfect example of a tragic hero. The book is about how the lives of the Igbo’s noble figure Okonkwo and the other members are affected by British Colonialism and Christian missionaries. Okonkwo was a tragic hero because he was admired by many because of his noble achievements but he let…

There are three most known tragic heroes, which are Byronic Hero, Anti-Hero, and Tragic hero. A byronic hero is the main character, who is rebellious. This hero has a troubled past and indulges in self-destructive behavior that threaten to doom her/him.An anti-hero is also the main character but is flawed in some way and often does not display admirable qualities. An example of an anti-hero is mostly all fiction heroes such as cat women. Lastly a tragic hero is the main character of a tragedy…

Sophocles’ plays, Oedipus Rex and Antigone, and Euripides’ play, Medea, share the same three motifs: tragic flaw, betrayal, and self-righteousness; which create the conflicts in each of the three timeless Greek plays, and these motifs are rooted in way people behave. Oedipus’ tragic flaw is how he avidly seeks the truth, even to the extent that his wife would commit suicide and he blind himself. Compassion, which is usually predominant in women, causes Antigone’s downfall because she felt…

Sophocles, Oedipus the King, uses the characteristics of Aristotle’s ides on what makes a good tragedy. Oedipus left his homeland after he heard a prophecy that he would one day kill his father and marry is mother. Rather than take the gamble he elected to leave. While on his journey he came in contact with a man at a crossroad that he had to kill. Never giving the killing another thought, Oedipus continued his journey when he came across a Sphinx that was holding a town hostage. Oedipus solved…

Oedipus’s Quicksand In pop culture, quicksand is known for entrapping characters. The harder the character fights to get out of the quicksand, the deeper they continue to sink. Oedipus has much in common with a character in quicksand. The harder he fights to get out of his fate, the closer he is to becoming it. In the tragedy about Oedipus Rex, he goes to Thebes to find it guarded by a sphinx who wants an answer to its riddle. Oedipus gets the riddle correct and frees the kingdom, and becomes…

A tragic hero is a character that is a good person but has one tragic flaw that can cause their own downfall. After reading a book called Things Fall Apart, the main character Okonkwo became the target of interest to be analyzed. He was one of a few major leaders in a town called Umuofia in Africa. He has done many questionable things for example, he killed a young man that he looked at as his own son, he almost killed one of his wives, and he killed a visiting missionary. Although he has done…

War, death, humiliation, pride. All prove to be events in a tragic hero’s time of fame. According to Aristotle, a tragic hero should basically be a good man with a minor flaw or tragic trait, in his character. In Antigone, Antigone meets many of the requirements to be a tragic hero because of her suffering, but Creon comes out to be a stronger candidate in the tragedy. In Sophocles Antigone, Creon proves to be the tragic hero because of his hubris, pathos, and peripeteia. In every Greek tragedy…