TRAGEDY
2nd Year B.A English Honours Notes On TRAGEDY
1.What are the major aspects of tragedy?
➣ The major aspects of a tragedy are—
(i) Tragedy is a genre of drama that focuses
on downfall and suffering of its protagonist.
(ii) The downfall must be caused due to a
tragic flaw or circumstances beyond control.
(iii) The tragic hero is typically of high class or
noble birth.
(iv) The downfall of the tragic hero evokes
feelings of pity and fear in the audience.
(v) Tragic plot usually follows a five-part
structure— exposition, rising, action, climax, falling action and denouement.
(vi) Tragedies often presents a conflict
between two truths, individual and society etc.
(vii) The tragic hero of modern play may be of
working class.
2.What does Aristotle say about tragedy hero?
➣ Aristotle, an ancient Greek philosopher has
presented clear concept of tragedy in his “Poetics”. Aristotle says that the tragic hero will evoke both our pity and terror. He is neither thoroughly good nor thoroughly bad, but a mixture of both. He is of higher than or finery moral worth. His fortune will be changed from happiness to mystery because of his mistaken choice of action which is led by his hamartia or error of judgement.The tragic hero like Oedipus in Sophocles’ moves us to pity because he is not an evil man, and his misfortune is greater than he deserves. He moves is also to fear because we think if such error may occur in our lives. So, a sudden reversal of a tragic hero’s fortune produces our pity and fear which goes through the process of purgation (Catharsis). Then, our emotions are purified and we feel emotional relief.
3. Comment on development or evolution of tragedy.
➣ Tragedy’s origins are obscure, but it apparently started with the singing of a choral lyric in honour of Dionysus, the god of wine and fertility. It originated in Athens during 5th Century BCE in the hands of the Gruk dramatists like Aeschylus Sophocles, and Euripides. Then, Aristotle talked of many paradigms about tragedy in his poetics. According to Aristotle, tragedy is “the imitation of an action that is serious and also— complete itself” All these plays following paradigm of tragedy offered by Aristotle are called classical tragedies.
In the medieval period, tragedies lock of the paradigm of classical tragedies. Such tragedies are simply the story of a person of high status who of a person of high status who is brought from prosperity to wretchedness by the unexpected turn of wheel of fortune.
Next, Roman influence in seen on tragedies Especially. Senecan tragedy reigned in this period. Then, the revenge tragedy was established on the Elizabethan stage with Thomas Kyd's The Spanish Tragedy in 1587. Many major tragedies in the flowering time between 1585 and 1625; by Marlow, Shakespeare, George Chapman, Webster, sir Francis and Philip Massinger, deviate radically from the Aristotelian norm. Tragicomedy is also the fruit of this era. In 17th century, heroic tragedy was produced. In the 18th century, bourgeois or domestic tragedy became popular. Finally, modern tragedy representing middle and working class appeared and suck tragedies deviate from Aristotelian norms in many ways. Arthen Miller, Henrik Ibsen and Tennessee Williams are the examples of modern playwrights.
