Tragedy

There's the Shakespeare tradition of resolving a tragedy with the stage covered with dead

bodies and a justice of sorts prevails. -Amos Oz

Origins of Tragedy

• Tragedy is the oldest form of drama in history.

• Tragedy as we know it comes originally from the Ancient Greeks.

• Shakespeare got his ideas for tragedy by studying the work of the great tragedians like Sophocles, who wrote the greatest tragedy of all time, Oedipus Rex.

What is Tragedy?

• Tragedy is more than just “a sad story or event.”

• True tragedy deals with the downfall of a great hero or heroine.

• Tragedy is about great people who have it all, but they still want more.

• They break society’s rules in some way, usually to fulfill that desire for more, more, more…

• In doing so, they screw up. This is called a hamartia, an intentional or unintentional mistake that leads to the hero’s destruction.

And then they fall from grace…

Tragic heroes traditionally suffer terribly and then die.

Tragic heroes are usually:

• Great warriors or military leaders.

• Noble (sons of kings or other aristocrats)

• Male (but not always!)• Hindered by a Tragic

Flaw (They are great but have some major mental weakness or problem in their personality that helps to cause their downfall)

Tragic heroes are Great people, but they’re typically not Good people.

Many are cruel, proud, or murderous.

Tragic heroes are destroyed by a combination of:

• Enemies (Someone hates them and wants to bring them down)

• Personal choices and personal flaws (They make bad decisions that destroy them)

• Destiny (Random events outside of their control turn out badly)

When we watch tragedy, we are supposed to feel:

• Pity for the hero.• Caution about

repeating the hero’s mistakes.

• Catharsis: Intense emotion that purifies and relieves you of pent-up emotions from your daily life.