Aspects of Tragedy Flashcards
The Classic Protagonist
-their suffering constitutes to a central part of the tragedy - so the audience feel disgust at the injustice of his destruction
-courageous and generous in nature
-megalopsychia ‘greatness of the soul’
Catharsis
-sensations of pity and fear which allow the audience to purge these feelings at the plays denouement (conclusion)
Human Condition
-encompasses all the fragility and and complexities of aspects of human nature, such as personality traits, experiences, mortality, and everything in between
Restoration of Order
-order should be restored after the confusion and chaos
-threat to the structure of society which was then vanquished and removed, thus promoting values of rationality, morality and strong leadership
The Tragic Hero
-a man who is highly renowned and prosperous
-misfortune brought on not by vice or or depravity but by some error of judgment or frailty
-high status so his tragedy affects those around him and the fabric of society
Hamartia
-fatal error of judgment
-wrong decision with the best intentions
Hubris
-excessive pride
-brings punishments
Peripeteia
-major change in circumstances
-good fortune to bad fortune
Agnorisis
-recognition of an important discovery
-can be the hero recognising his tragic error of judgement (hamartia)
Journey towards death
-usually of the protagonist, discovering their flaws, pride, folly (foolishness) their blindness and insight, mix of good and evil
Tragic Villain
-directly affects the fortune of the hero
-engages in a contest of power
-partly responsible for the hero’s demise
Fate
-predetermined course of events
-destiny
-involving supernatural power
Violence and revenge
-hero’s quest for vengeance
-real of feigned(false) insanity
-awareness of danger being corrupted and materialising in a violent response
Humour and moments of happiness
-subtle humour lying below the linguistics
-often wordplay, can be crude humour
-lightening the atmosphere of despair
Structural Patterns
-moving through catastrophe
-order → disorder
-climax → resolution
-prosperity and happiness of the hero → tragic end
-subplots
Audience
-contemporaneous audience (1500s, 16th century)
-Jacobean society
-modern audience
-interpretations and reactions
-dramatic irony
