Tragedy and Tragic HeroTragedy and Tragic Hero

Characteristics from Aristotle’s Characteristics from Aristotle’s PoeticsPoetics

TRAGEDYTRAGEDY

A serious play that A serious play that depicts the fall depicts the fall and/or death of a and/or death of a noble characternoble character

Character in Character in conflict with forces conflict with forces beyond his/her beyond his/her controlcontrol

Tragic HeroTragic Hero Of noble birth Of noble birth

(highly regarded)(highly regarded) Acts nobly or Acts nobly or

honorablyhonorably Makes choices Makes choices

that lead to a that lead to a situation from situation from which there is no which there is no escapeescape

Has a Has a tragic flawtragic flaw that leads to his that leads to his destructiondestruction

Aristotle's Definition of a Aristotle's Definition of a tragic hero:tragic hero:

1. Comes from nobility (high position such 1. Comes from nobility (high position such as as a king or outstanding person)a king or outstanding person)

2. Tragic Flaw (caused by a simple mistake 2. Tragic Flaw (caused by a simple mistake or or a character flaw - a virtue carried to a character flaw - a virtue carried to the the extreme, maybe prideextreme, maybe pride or jealousy)or jealousy)

3. Undergoes a Reversal of Fortune (Falls 3. Undergoes a Reversal of Fortune (Falls from from high to low / happiness to misery)high to low / happiness to misery)

4. Has a Downfall (misfortunes)4. Has a Downfall (misfortunes) 5. Recognizes his mistakes (in a 5. Recognizes his mistakes (in a

catharsis/cleansing of emotions or catharsis/cleansing of emotions or purgation of pity and fear)purgation of pity and fear)

TragedyTragedy

1. Tragedy is meant to reaffirm 1. Tragedy is meant to reaffirm the fact that life is worth living, the fact that life is worth living, regardless of the suffering or pain regardless of the suffering or pain that is part of human existence.that is part of human existence.

2. Tragedies are about people in 2. Tragedies are about people in conflict with the universe. conflict with the universe. Tragedies are always about spiritual Tragedies are always about spiritual

conflicts, never about every day events.conflicts, never about every day events.

TragedyTragedy

3. Tragic actions arise from a 3. Tragic actions arise from a character's inner conflict. character's inner conflict. A tragic protagonist must have A tragic protagonist must have

magnitudemagnitude; his struggles are great ; his struggles are great because he is important to society.because he is important to society.

4. The tragic protagonist must fall 4. The tragic protagonist must fall from high to low; they will have a from high to low; they will have a noble soul.noble soul. The audience must care about the tragic The audience must care about the tragic

protagonist. protagonist.

TragedyTragedy5. The tragic protagonist is a 5. The tragic protagonist is a

decent person, but not perfect (not decent person, but not perfect (not completely virtuous or villainous).completely virtuous or villainous).He usually suffers from He usually suffers from hubris hubris (Pride)(Pride) as as

shown through shown through hamartiahamartia (character flaw or (character flaw or error in judgment). error in judgment).

Once the transgression is realized, the Once the transgression is realized, the character enters the stage of character enters the stage of anagnorisis anagnorisis  (recognition)(recognition) and will undergo a and will undergo a peripeteiaperipeteia (reversal of fortune or fall from (reversal of fortune or fall from high to low).high to low).In other words, the character grows and gains In other words, the character grows and gains

self-knowledge.self-knowledge.

TragedyTragedy6. The protagonist's actions should 6. The protagonist's actions should

arouse feelings of botharouse feelings of both pity, fear, pity, fear, and compassionand compassion in the audience. in the audience. Pity because the protagonist is better than Pity because the protagonist is better than

we are, so we place ourselves into his we are, so we place ourselves into his position (empathy).position (empathy).

Fear because we too do not know our future Fear because we too do not know our future or fate.or fate.

However much the audience may feel for However much the audience may feel for the character, it does not leave with the character, it does not leave with depression.depression.

TragedyTragedy7. By the end of the play, the audience 7. By the end of the play, the audience

should be purged of pity and fear, so should be purged of pity and fear, so they go through a they go through a catharsis (purgation (purgation of pity and fear).of pity and fear).

8.The tragic protagonist must ask the 8.The tragic protagonist must ask the first and last of all questions: What does first and last of all questions: What does it mean to be?it mean to be? He must face the world alone, unaided, and kick He must face the world alone, unaided, and kick

against his fate.against his fate. He can never escape his fate, but he will insist He can never escape his fate, but he will insist

upon accepting fate on his own terms. upon accepting fate on his own terms.

Additional characteristicsAdditional characteristics

The character is responsible for his The character is responsible for his own downfall because of the choices.own downfall because of the choices.

The punishment seems to exceed the The punishment seems to exceed the crime which is a waste of potential.crime which is a waste of potential.

The character does not want to get The character does not want to get ahead, but does want to die ahead, but does want to die honorably. honorably.

The character goes beyond the call of The character goes beyond the call of duty and takes responsibility for duty and takes responsibility for others.others.

HAMARTIAHAMARTIA

An error of judgment. Hamartia, “fault”, An error of judgment. Hamartia, “fault”, is sometimes known as the tragic flaw is sometimes known as the tragic flaw because it represents a fatal weakness because it represents a fatal weakness that causes the downfall of a protagonist that causes the downfall of a protagonist in tragedy. in tragedy.

This hamartia may be caused by This hamartia may be caused by inherited weakness, by faulty character inherited weakness, by faulty character traits, or by poor judgment; whatever the traits, or by poor judgment; whatever the cause, the result is action or inaction, cause, the result is action or inaction, that leads to destruction or death.that leads to destruction or death.

HUBRISHUBRISArrogance; excessive self-pride and self-Arrogance; excessive self-pride and self-

confidence. Hubris, “insolence”, referred confidence. Hubris, “insolence”, referred to the emotions in Greek tragic heroes to the emotions in Greek tragic heroes that led them to ignore warnings from the that led them to ignore warnings from the gods and thus invite catastrophe. Hubris gods and thus invite catastrophe. Hubris is that form of hamartia that stems from is that form of hamartia that stems from overbearing pride and self-assumed overbearing pride and self-assumed superiority. superiority.

The original sin of the Greek tragic hero is The original sin of the Greek tragic hero is hubris, believing that one is god-like. hubris, believing that one is god-like. Nobody can be tempted into hubris Nobody can be tempted into hubris except one who is exceptionally fortunate. except one who is exceptionally fortunate.

CATHARSISCATHARSISA Greek word, “kathairein”, means to A Greek word, “kathairein”, means to

clean or to purify. Refers to any clean or to purify. Refers to any emotional discharge that brings about emotional discharge that brings about an emotional or spiritual renewal or an emotional or spiritual renewal or welcome relief from tension and welcome relief from tension and anxiety. anxiety.

An audience filled with confusion and An audience filled with confusion and unhealthy emotions, such as pity and unhealthy emotions, such as pity and fear, comes to see a play developing fear, comes to see a play developing make-believe actions that would be make-believe actions that would be harmful if occurring in real life. It harmful if occurring in real life. It participates emotionally in the dramatic participates emotionally in the dramatic action and goes away psychologically action and goes away psychologically cleansed, purged of injurious feelings cleansed, purged of injurious feelings and sensations. and sensations.

Catharsis continuedCatharsis continued

Literary critics have never Literary critics have never agreed whether catharsis means agreed whether catharsis means that members of an audience that members of an audience thus learn to avoid the evil and thus learn to avoid the evil and destructive emotions of a tragic destructive emotions of a tragic hero or that their inner conflicts hero or that their inner conflicts are quieted by an opportunity to are quieted by an opportunity to expend pity and fear upon such expend pity and fear upon such a protagonista protagonist.  . 

Aristotle's Six Elements of Aristotle's Six Elements of DramaDrama

1. Plot (the incidents or story line)1. Plot (the incidents or story line)2. Character (physical, social, 2. Character (physical, social,

psychological, moral--people psychological, moral--people represented in the play)represented in the play)

3. Thought/Theme (insights into 3. Thought/Theme (insights into humanity humanity and lifeand life

4. Music (all sound)4. Music (all sound)5. Spectacle (scenery and other visual 5. Spectacle (scenery and other visual

elements)elements)6. Diction/language (the dialogue and 6. Diction/language (the dialogue and

poetry)poetry)

Conventions of Greek DramaConventions of Greek Drama

UNITIES UNITIES – a way of providing a central – a way of providing a central focus to a play. Aristotle believed focus to a play. Aristotle believed perfect tragedies had:perfect tragedies had:

Unity of Action – Unity of Action – simple plot with no simple plot with no mixture of tragedy and comedy mixture of tragedy and comedy

Unity of Time – Unity of Time – single daysingle day

Unity of Place – Unity of Place – one location of scenesone location of scenes

Shakespearean Play Plot Shakespearean Play Plot

Act 1 - Exposition Act 5 - Resolution

Act 3 – Turning point

Act 2 – Rising Action Act 4 – Falling Action

For More About Greek Drama:For More About Greek Drama:

The Glory that was GreeceThe Glory that was GreeceGreek Drama and Culture Greek Drama and Culture Greek DramaGreek DramaAristotle Aristotle Ancient TheatreAncient TheatreGreek TheatreGreek TheatreDr. J's Illustrated Greek Theater Dr. J's Illustrated Greek Theater