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/ˈtrædʒɪdi/ [traj-i-dee]–noun, plural 1. a dramatic composition, often in verse, dealing with a serious or somber theme, typically that of a great person destined through a flaw of character or conflict with some overpowering force, as fate or society, to downfall or destruction. 2. the branch of the drama that is concerned with this form of composition. …4. any literary composition, as a novel, dealing with a somber theme carried to a tragic conclusion. …6. a lamentable, dreadful, or fatal event or affair; calamity; disaster: the tragedy of war.
Dictionary.reference.com
http://www.theater-masks.com/i/masks/tragedy-mask-wearable.jpg
Tragic Hero a literary character who makes an error of judgment or has a fatal flaw that, combined with fate and external forces, brings on a tragedy
Shakespeare wrote many tragedies with these types of characters Ex. Macbeth
The Greeks also had many of these characters in their plays Ex. Oedipus Rex
http://www.dennishollingsworth.us/archives/images/Oedipus.jpg
Tragic Hero Like other heroes, Tragic Heroes
are part of the monomyth They travel the Hero’s Journey
(J.Campbell)
They also share some heroic traits Unusual births Has great skill, strength, courage Defeats hardships Grows and changes during the
journey Flaws make them easy to relate
to
The difference is that a tragic hero has (usually) finished his journey now has decisions to make in his life
post-journey
Tragic Flaws Underlying
personality trait…causing the tragic hero in your play or novel to self-destruct
Examples: Pride / Hubris Jealousy Ambition (quick)Temper And many more!
http://www.cliffsnotes.com/Section/What-is-a-tragic-flaw-.id-305408,articleId-8035.html
steeds.com
http://s1.hubimg.com/u/176876_f520.jpg
http://kinokunya.files.wordpress.com/2008/12/heroes-1453.jpg
Poetics: Greek Tragedy
Aristotle defined tragedy and tragic heroes in this book
Tragic heroes are: Noble: usually occupy
a high position in society AND act virtuously and nobly
Easy to identify with: They’re not perfect; they’re just like us
http://vccslitonline.cc.va.us/tragedy/aristotle.htm
Poetics (continued)
Heroes’ tragic flaws cause them to make the choices that lead to tragedy. Usually, this is a character
flaw or an error of judgment The punishment usually
exceeds the crime (see: Oedipus)
The fall (tragedy) usually results in some discovery or increased awareness
Tragedy shouldn’t leave the audience depressed Catharsis: purging of
negative emotions like sadness and fear
http://vccslitonline.cc.va.us/tragedy/aristotle.htm
http://www.mediainspiration.com/contents/artists/artist_details.php?id=15
“Catharsis”
Elizabethan Tragedy
still familiar tale of a great man or woman brought low through hubris or fate
acted on stage the violence that the Greek dramatists reported
Sometimes mixed genres (comedy, tragedy)
Shakespeare’s third genre, histories, were about English kings and were usually tragedies
http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/english/melani/cs6/
http://the-fifth-wall.blogspot.com/ 2009/01/shakespearean-awards.html
www.readexpress.com/read_freeride/photos/2008
thefreedictionary.com
Notes (on Definition): A tragedy is a serious
dramatic play, the intent of which is to arouse and then soothe the audience’s pity and fear.
This process is called catharsis – a wounding and a healing that the audience goes through. The audience is cleansed while watching a tragedy.
A tragedy should contain elevated or poetic language. Ordinary language (prose) is not sufficiently lofty for the scope of tragedy.
Notes: (on Tragic Heroes) Generally, the tragic
hero must possess the following traits:
He/she must be an important or impressive figure (king, queen, prince, general)
He/she must, at some point in the play, become aware of his/her downfall. There must be a moment of revelation.
He/she must cause his/her own downfall. There must be some sort of character flaw (the TRAGIC FLAW) that propels the tragedy.
Notes: (on Tragic Flaws)
A true tragic flaw is paradoxical: the same thing that makes the person great is the thing that tears them down.
All notes from Rob Bingham