Tragedy

1.What is the definition of Classical Tragedy?

Classical tragedy: A classical tragedy is the story of a hero (or heroine) who experiences a reversal of fortune set in motion by the gods as a result of hubris. The most refined version of poetry dealing with lofty matters and comedy as the most refined version of poetry dealing with base matters.

Aristotle defines tragedy according to seven characteristics: (1) it is mimetic, (2) it is serious, (3) it tells a full story of an appropriate length, (4) it contains rhythm and harmony, (5) rhythm and harmony occur in different combinations in different parts of the tragedy, (6) it is performed rather than narrated, and (7) it arouses feelings of pity and fear and then purges these feelings through catharsis. A tragedy consists of six component parts, which are listed here in order from most important to least important: plot, character, thought, diction, melody, and spectacle.

2.Where and when did the concept of Classical Tragedy originate?

It originated in Ancient Greece 384–322 B.C.

4.Who was Aristotle, what was he known for, and when was he alive?

Aristotle (384–322 B.C) was and ancient Greek philosopher. His writings cover many subjects – including physics, biology, zoology, metaphysics, logic, ethics, aesthetics, poetry, theater, music, rhetoric, linguistics, politics and government – and constitute the first comprehensive system of Western philosophy.

5.When did Aristotle write his study of tragedy, entitled Poetics?

Aristotle wrote his study of tragedy entitled poetics in 335bc.

6.What, according to Aristotle, is the aim of tragedy?

The aim of tragedy, Aristotle writes, is to bring about a "catharsis" of the spectators — to arouse in them sensations of pity and fear, and to purge them of these emotions so that they leave the theater feeling cleansed and uplifted, with a heightened understanding of the ways of gods and men.

A 7.What are the 6 component parts of tragedy, according to Aristotle? List them in order of importance.

according to Aristotle, tragedy has six main elements: plot, character, diction, thought, spectacle (scenic effect), and song (music), of which the first two are primary.

8.According to Aristotle, what makes a good tragic structure, or tragic plot?

A well-formed plot must have a beginning, which is not a necessary consequence of any previous action; a middle, which follows logically from the beginning; and an end, which follows logically from the middle and from which no further action necessarily follows. The plot should be unified, meaning that every element of the plot should tie in to the rest of the plot, leaving no loose ends. This kind of unity allows tragedy to express universal themes powerfully, which makes it superior to history, which can only talk about particular events. Episodic plots are bad because there is no necessity to the sequence of events. The best kind of plot contains surprises, but surprises that, in retrospect, fit logically into the sequence of events. The best kinds of surprises are brought about by peripeteia, or reversal of fortune, and anagnorisis, or discovery. A good plot progresses like a knot that is tied up with increasingly greater complexity until the moment of peripeteia, at which point the knot is gradually untied until it reaches a completely unknotted conclusion.

9.What is the role of the tragic hero in Aristotle's theory of tragedy, and how important is the tragic hero in Classical Tragedy?

The hero must have good qualities appropriate to his or her station and should be portrayed realistically and consistently.

Hamartia              (Greek for "error.") An offense committed in ignorance of some material fact; a great mistake made as a result of an error by a morally good person.

 Tragic flaw           A fatal weakness or moral flaw in the protagonist that brings him or her to a bad end. Sometimes offered as an alternative understanding of hamartia, in contrast to the idea that the tragic hero's catastrophe is caused by an error in judgment.          

Hubris   Overweening pride, outrageous behavior, or the insolence that leads to ruin, the antithesis of moderation or rectitude.           

Peripeteia           (Anglicized as peripety; Greek for "sudden change.") A reversal of fortune, a sudden change of circumstance affecting the protagonist. According to Aristotle, the play's peripety occurs when a certain result is expected and instead its opposite effect is produced. In a tragedy, the reversal takes the protagonist from good fortune to catastrophe.     

Recognition        In tragic plotting, the moment of recognition occurs when ignorance gives way to knowledge, illusion to disillusion.          

Katharsis, catharsis          (Often translated from Greek as purgation or purification.) the feeling of emotional release or calm the spectator feels at the end of tragedy. The term is drawn from Aristotle's definition of tragedy, relating to the final cause or purpose of tragic art. Some feel that through catharsis, drama taught the audience compassion for the vulnerabilities of others and schooled it in justice and other civic virtues.