Genre Flashcards
What is the genre of the play?
Southern Gothic, following some elements of a Greek Tragedy.
Tragedy
A play depicting the downfall of a noble hero/heroine, usually due to fate, the will of the Gods, or their own pride.
Hubris
Excessive pride or self-confidence.
Hamartia
A tragic hero’s fatal flaw.
Peripeteia
When a tragic hero undergoes a change or reversal in fortune.
Anagnorisis
A tragic hero’s revelation, recognition, or discovery about fate, destiny, or the will of the Gods.
Catharsis
Purification, giving audiences a sense of resolution.
Who is notable figure within the tragedy genre?
Aristotle.
How does Aristotle define a tragedy?
An imitation of reality, an action with serious implications, action taking place in sequence.
The Three Unities - Time
The action in a tragedy should take place over 24 hours.
The Three Unities - Place
The tragedy should take place in one physical location.
The Three Unities - Action
A tragedy should have one principal action.
Pathos
Suffering.
Freytag’s Pyramid
A formula for a tragedy. Introduction, rising action, climax, falling action, catastrophe.
Melodrama
Plays with very theatrical, explosive events, and exaggerated emotions.
Southern Gothic
Genre developed in the 1920s, focused on the contemporary American South, and its legacy of the Civil War.
Southern Gothic Conventions
Atmosphere of decay, impoverished settings, grotesque characters, violent events. Themes of violence, sex, and insanity.
