Poetics

(Add hook) Aristotle 's Theory of Tragedy consists of seven areas that a tragedy must fully consist of: each area breaking into even smaller criteria. Characters, the second category, touches on what the protagonist of a tragedy must have in order to be considered as such. Some of the most noteworthy categories are hamartia, consistency, and tragic downfall. When analyzing the characters of Antigone, the Greek Tragedy written by Sophocles, there a few characters that could appropriately fit into…

Protective of Power A person of power can be broken. Power can be won, given, taken, and lost. People can be ruined. Being destroyed can be afflicted by an outside force or by oneself. However, no matter the source of ones downfall there is no influence over the inevitable. Throughout the play Antigone many of the characters are confronted with situations that lead to their downfall. Most of the characters actions and choices are the source of their ultimate demise. According to Aristotle, a…

On the last page of Oedipus Rex by Sophocles, the quote “Therefore we must call no man happy while he waits to see his last day, not until he has passed the border of life and death without suffering pain”(Sophocles 108), embodies the moral of the tragic play. Even though Oedipus tries to take control of his free will, he only makes his fate come true. No man is happy until he is at peace, and he is only at peaces when he is dead after that man has suffered in his life. In the play, Oedipus…

For centuries, tragedy has been used to make the protagonist relatable to the audience. Despite the hero usually being someone who is high-bred, modern day films and novels still continue to use the aspect of tragedy to reach the conventional man. However, man is imperfect and no matter how noble they are, every man experiences fear. Arthur Miller’s use of modern tragedy allows the common man to be a suitable tragic hero because the simple man combats fear of displacement in their everyday life…

Macbeth by William Shakespeare is credited to be one of the greatest plays ever written. The play deserves such high praise because of its near perfect fit to the standards of Shakespearian tragedy. The play exhibits multiple characters of a tragedy, however the most obvious, and arguably most significant include the use of a tragic hero, hamartia, and catharsis. Undoubtedly, the most vital part of a Shakespearean tragedy is that the play contains a tragic hero. Previously, in Aristotelian…

An Aristotelian Outlook on Two Very Different Tales Aristotle defines a tragedy as “the imitation of an action that is serious and also, as having magnitude, complete in itself; in appropriate and pleasurable language;... in a dramatic rather than narrative form; with incidents arousing pity and fear, wherewith to accomplish a catharsis of these emotions” (Meyer 2). Or to put in simpler terms, completing a serious action that has the depth within itself to arouse fear in an effort to cleanse any…

The word tragedy is defined as an event causing great destruction or distress. In the play Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare emphasizes this idea of tragedy. The story is revolved around this family feud which led many of these tragedies. A lot of character’s are impacted off this concept of two families having complete hatred for one another. In William Shakespeare's story Romeo and Juliet, the characters of Tybalt, Lord Capulet and Friar Lawrence contribute to the tragedy of the play because of…

The play “Julius Caesar” explained two men named Brutus and Antony who both presented speeches in front of their town with different meanings about the assassination of Caesar. Antony had to ask Brutus for permission to speak at Caesar’s funeral. His despairing emotion and speech drawed the crowds special attention. Antony speech does not show any praise of caesar but does show sympathy and memorable memories that caesar did for his town. This whole situation sums a complete catastrophe. If…

The theme, characterization, and social aspect of Macbeth are different from those in Antigone. Macbeth, a respected man, pursues power by all means, killing people and manipulating those that believe he respects them. Meanwhile, Macbeth communicates with three witches to ensure that his plans of action are uninterrupted trying to become king by any means necessary. However, during his mission to become king, all turn tragic and he never achieves the chance to learn from his actions. On the…

Blame is when someone or something is assigned for a wrong committed by another person. People assign blame to feel better about themselves and the mistake they made, using it as an excuse. In the play, Romeo and Juliet, a series of faults are committed by multiple people unwilling to accept the blame, causing a chain of events that lead to the death of a few Capulets and Montagues. Two factors leading to the untimely death of Romeo and Juliet are Capulet’s treatment and the Friar’s…