tragedy & the tragic hero

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Tragedy & The Tragic Hero

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Tragedy & The Tragic Hero. Tragedy. Aristotle first defined tragedy in his book Poetics written in about 330 BC: - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Page 1: Tragedy & The Tragic Hero

Tragedy & The Tragic Hero

Page 2: Tragedy & The Tragic Hero

Tragedy• Aristotle first defined tragedy in his book

Poetics written in about 330 BC:“an imitation of an action that is serious,

complete, and of a certain magnitude; in language embellished with each kind of artistic ornament, the several kinds being found in separate parts of the play; in the form of action, not of narrative; through pity and fear affecting the proper purgation of these emotions”

Page 3: Tragedy & The Tragic Hero

OR in Plain English…• Tragedy is any serious and dignified

drama that describes a conflict between the hero (protagonist) and a superior force (destiny, chance, society, god) and reaches a sorrowful conclusion that arouses pity or fear in the audience.

Page 4: Tragedy & The Tragic Hero

Tragedy• Tragedy deals with life’s bitterness and

defeat• Involved the fall of a great man from

glory to utter defeat, disgrace, and death (king, national leader, brave warrior, hero)• The suffering in these plays is largely

physical and psychological

Page 5: Tragedy & The Tragic Hero

What defines a Shakespearean Tragedy• A Tragic Hero• The Tragic Flaw• Reversal of Fortune• Catharsis • Restoration of Social Order

Page 6: Tragedy & The Tragic Hero

The Tragic Hero• Someone we look up to –

someone superior• Nearly perfect and we identify

with him/her

Page 7: Tragedy & The Tragic Hero

Tragic Flaw• The hero is nearly perfect• The hero has one flaw or weakness

Page 8: Tragedy & The Tragic Hero

Reversal of Fortune• The fatal flaw brings the hero down

from his elevated state• Renaissance audiences were familiar

with the ‘wheel of fortune’ – what goes up must come down

Page 9: Tragedy & The Tragic Hero

Catharsis• The audience’s purging of emotions

through pity and fear

Page 10: Tragedy & The Tragic Hero

Restoration of Social Order• The play cannot end until society

is, once again, at peace.

Page 11: Tragedy & The Tragic Hero

The Tragic Hero• Tragic hero must be a person who is

great and admirable in both his abilities and opportunities

• He is a person so highly placed in society that his actions involve the well-being of all its members.

Page 12: Tragedy & The Tragic Hero

Characteristics the Tragic Hero• Capacity for suffering • Suffers because he believes in what he is doing• Justifies his actions even if he’s not sure if they are just• Strength to endure pain inflicted• No fear of death• A sense of commitment• Once the forces of the conflict are set in motion, he is

committed• Vigorous protest• Doesn’t accept fate meekly• Cries out against the gods, his own weakness, the world,

and the forces that placed him in jeopardy.

Page 13: Tragedy & The Tragic Hero

Characteristics the Tragic Hero• Always capable of heroic greatness• Has a tragic flaw – an interest or habit of mind that

is all-absorbing and predisposes him/her in one particular direction. • The hero is placed in circumstances in which

his/her tragic flaw is fatal. It eventually leads to disaster.• The hero does not fall (die) alone.• The hero’s fall makes us conscious of a feeling of

waste. (What “might-have-been”)• The hero gains our sympathy and admiration, pity,

awe, and terror. (catharsis)