Tragedy

Of Shakespeare’s most well-known plays, many of them fall into the genre of tragedy, including Macbeth, Julius Caesar, and Hamlet. This latter in particular could be classified as a revenge tragedy due to its subject matter. Some elements of tragedy include complex, character-driven plots, noble, yet flawed, main characters, and highly embellished language. Hamlet contains these elements, respectively, in Hamlet’s convoluted attempts to avenge his father, his paradoxical good and bad traits, and the eloquent soliloquies given by various characters. The full name of the play, The Tragedy of Hamlet: Prince of Denmark, gives a pretty good idea of what the play is intended to be like, and the storyline agrees with it. The tale is one of revenge,…

Plays are generally split up into one of two categories: tragedies or comedies. Arthur Miller’s The Crucible is most definitely an accurate representation of the true meaning of a tragedy. The Crucible is an example of a tragedy of classic proportions. Aristotle’s definition of tragedy is an imitation of an action that is serious, complete, and of a certain magnitude. According to Aristotle, a tragedy must be in the form of action, not of narrative and must have incidents arousing pity and…

The six elements that belong to every tragedy are the plot, characters, diction, thought, spectacle, and melody. The most significant elements of tragedy are the plot and character. The plot is the arrangement of the incidents in the story, whereas, the character is the morality given to the characters of the tragedy. Although the character defines the qualities of the character, the action of the plot itself makes them feel the emotions. Therefore, the characters contribute to the action of…

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…

While the end of “The Birthmark” was tragic, it isn’t necessarily considered a tragedy. Given the circumstances, Aylmer and his tragic flaws are to blame for the tragedy at the end. A tragic flaw, or hamartia, was first referenced in Aristotle's work “Poetics”, where his idea is that it is an “error of judgement” that brings the character’s downfall. In Greek literature, there will almost always be tragic flaws, a trait in a character that ultimately leads to their downfall. This…

In Arthur Miller’s essay, “Tragedy and the Common Man”, he states that the common man is just as fit for tragedy, as are the higher classed. Tragedy isn’t just for kings, queens, and gods, but also for regular humans. A tragic hero is anyone who is willing to lay down their life for their personal dignity. Sometimes tragedy is trying to regain dignity, or obtain it for the first time. The tragic hero always has a “tragic flaw”. This flaw is a crack in the surface of the hero’s dignity,…

Macbeth: Tragedy or Not? Aristotle defined the term tragedy as, “A tragedy is 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.” (Web). With this in mind, William Shakespeare's play, Macbeth, is a tragedy because the main characters suffer from their flaws. The play's tragic…

The Greek philosopher Aristotle defined tragedy: "Tragedy, then, is an imitation of an action that is serious, complete, and of a certain magnitude." He explained that although the main character is noble, a tragedy must focus on action rather than on character development in order for the play to make sense to the reader. The action of the play should arouse both mutual feelings of pity and fear, while the theme of tragedy is the meaning of the central action and the main character's…

The purpose for the structuring of this concert comes from the nature of the title of the concert. “The Lords” is a characterization of the Nizetich ideal from the book, The Birth of Tragedy - the book articles on the Apollonian and Dionysian duality. The duality that describes the difference between what is seen - the Apollonian - and what lies behind the walls that is the inner workings of what is seen - the Dionysian aspect . Furthermore, in The Birth of Tragedy, Nietzsche describes what “the…

by Scodel on Sophoclean Tragedy introduces the reader to the dynamic and catastrophic world (of what is left) of Sophocleans’ dramas. He introduces the writer, his tragedies, and all the elements that constitute the dramas. Scodel delves into the components Sophocles utilized to create the unique dramas and engaging characters. Scodel uses specific examples from various tragedies to convey the style, the tradition, and the portrayal of characters. Finally Scodel introduces Sophocles use of…