Yr 9 - Spring 1: Greek Tragedy Flashcards
What is meant by tragedy?
An event in life in which something disastrous happens, evoking feelings of sorrow and catharsis
What is catharsis?
Releasing repressed emotions
Elements of Greek Tragedy:
What is a tragic hero?
A protagonist of noble birth* who falls from grace
*noble birth = high status
Elements of Greek Tragedy:
What is a hamartia?
A tragic flaw that leads to the downfall
Elements of Greek Tragedy:
What is a catastrophe?
A disastrous conclusion involving death
Elements of Greek Tragedy:
What is a chorus?
A group of actors who observe and comment on the events of the play
Elements of Greek Tragedy:
What is meant by ‘fate’?
EVERYTHING IS PREDESTINED
What are the five elements of Greek Tragedy?
- a tragic hero
- a hamartia
- catastrophe
- a chorus
- fate
Who is the ‘tragic hero’ in Macbeth?
Macbeth
What is Macbeth’s hamartia?
His AMBITION to become and remain king
(lust for power)
Who are the chorus in Macbeth?
The Witches
How is fate related to Macbeth?
Everything is predestined because the witches can tell the future
The Witches are often referred to as the ‘Weird Sisters’. In Jacobean times, weird meant ‘fate’. What does this tell us about the Witches?
- can predict the future
- can possibly change the future
- reliable because whatever they say will definitely happen
- therefore Shakespeare is in control…?
–> they use equivocation to deliberately mislead Macbeth
When was Macbeth written/performed thingy?
1606 - Jacobean era
What event involving regicide occurred a year before Macbeth was written?
The Gunpowder Plot (1605)
