Tragedy

The play Oedipus the King by Sophocles, is a Greek tragedy that explores the irony of fate. The plot revolves around Oedipus, the tragic hero of the play, who is subject to both fate and free fill, illustrating that while man…

In 1604, English playwright and poet William Shakespeare (1564-1616) debuted Othello, a tragedy following the marriage between a Moorish black general, Othello, and an aristocratic Venetian woman, Desdemona. Their matrimony is threatened by Othello’s trusted ensign, Iago, who harbors a resentment towards the Moor and plants suspicion in Othello’s mind that his wife is unfaithful. Like other playwrights of his time, Shakespeare structured his work after ancient Greek philosopher, Aristotle’s…

An American Tragedy The title of The Great Gatsby should be changed to An American Tragedy. It should be changed because there is more tragedy than there is greatness. This is shown in Gatsby himself in his pursuit for Daisy. The corruption of the American dream is also proof that the novel is a tragedy. This can be seen in the way that happiness is no longer valued when compared to money. The love between Gatsby and Daisy is also riddled with many tragic events and outcomes. The reason why…

When people hear the word conflict, they usually think about it in a negative context. However, Roman comedies are filled with rambunctious and silly characters that often get tricked into a situation, that go through the process of figuring everything out amid the confusion, and finding a happy ending to their troubles. Plautus’s plays tend to reflect the lifestyle and social aspects of the lower ranks of Roman people. This is significant because it gives readers an insight to what life may be…

Hamlet and Agamemnon are both plays that possess the elements for Aristotle’s definition of tragedy. The both include the downfall of a likeable and over all good character that by an error or choice. Both show the protagonist becoming aware or insightful of their misjudgment and the unravelling and consequence that comes from their errors. Both plays deliver a sense of pity or sympathy towards the characters and some relief upon the conclusion. The two famous plays have similar themes. Power…

All of famous playwright William Shakespeare’s tragedies include a main component of death. The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, is no exception to the tragic themes of death, romance and overconfidence. In Romeo and Juliet, County Paris is a rich, handsome bachelor. In the Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, County Paris is brutally killed. The three reasons for Paris’s untimely death are Friar Lawrence, Paris himself, and Lord Capulet. Friar Lawrence, in the first place is one of the reasons causing…

The Ancient Greek Tragedies were a way for poets to tell a story with a twist. A way for others to see that life isn’t perfect for anyone. People get the feeling that if someone is from money, or they have the best house, that their lives must be perfect. With trag edies the authors made sure it was the heroes that suffered the downfalls and heartaches. The tragic hero’s in the following stories are destined for suffering after fighting as a hero would. In the Ancient Greek Tragedies, Oedipus…

Tragedy Aristotle developed a Concept of Tragedy using Sophocles’s plays and other tragedies. He defined tragedy as “an imitation of an action of high importance, complete and of some amplitude; in language enhanced by distinct and varying beauties; acted not narrated; by means of pity and fear effecting its purgation of these emotions.” (Kennedy and Gioia 1160). The main character in a tragedy is called the tragic hero. According to Aristotle, the tragic hero has certain qualities that made…

The Tragedy of Julius Caesar In Shakespeare’s play, The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, Julius Caesar is portrayed as an unlikable person and was described as physically weak. “He hath the falling sickness” ( I ii 256). vain“Danger knows full well that Caesar is more dangerous than he” ( II i 44) arrogant “if thou dost bend and pray and fawn for him I spurn thee like a cur out of my way” (III i 45), and it was easy to believe that all of Rome was against him. While all of those adjectives may be…

us the value of seeing tragedy. For the modern reader, to understand tragedy he must understand that tragedy is greatness leading to a fall. Once that is comprehended he can better understand the true path of tragedy. The modern reader can learn that greatness leads to power and a desire to use it, situations force quick thinking which leads to bad decision making, and after the bad decision a fall is created which affects people around the person that falls. Through tragedy the reader can know…