Key Tragic Terms And Tragic Conventions
The aim of tragedy, Aristotle writes, is to bring about a "catharsis" of the
spectators
He says that the plot must be a complete whole with a definite beginning,
middle, and end
The plot is intended to illustrate matters of cosmic rather than individual
significance, and the protagonist is viewed primarily as the character who
experiences the changes that take place.
. . . a man who is highly renowned and prosperous, but one who is not pre-
eminently virtuous and just, whose misfortune, however, is brought upon him
not by vice or depravity but by some error of judgment or frailty
That the protagonist has a fault, or flaw, in his character which brings
about his downfall. The tragic hero should not be entirely good or evil.
Tragic characters may be both monstrous and admirable. Their flawed
humanity appeals to us and enable us to pity them. Madness often
seems to be a form of divine punishment.
Anagnorisis - When a character has a dramatic realisation about
something.
Catharsis - The feeling of emotional release from seeing a tragedy.
Pathos - The sympathetic reaction the audience has for the characters.
Hubris - Tragic pride (which is often the undoing of the hero).
Hamartia - The tragic hero’s ‘fatal flaw’.
dramatic irony - occurs when the development of the plot allows the
audience to possess more information about what is happening than some of
the
characters themselves have.
The aim of tragedy, Aristotle writes, is to bring about a "catharsis" of the
spectators
He says that the plot must be a complete whole with a definite beginning,
middle, and end
The plot is intended to illustrate matters of cosmic rather than individual
significance, and the protagonist is viewed primarily as the character who
experiences the changes that take place.
. . . a man who is highly renowned and prosperous, but one who is not pre-
eminently virtuous and just, whose misfortune, however, is brought upon him
not by vice or depravity but by some error of judgment or frailty
That the protagonist has a fault, or flaw, in his character which brings
about his downfall. The tragic hero should not be entirely good or evil.
Tragic characters may be both monstrous and admirable. Their flawed
humanity appeals to us and enable us to pity them. Madness often
seems to be a form of divine punishment.
Anagnorisis - When a character has a dramatic realisation about
something.
Catharsis - The feeling of emotional release from seeing a tragedy.
Pathos - The sympathetic reaction the audience has for the characters.
Hubris - Tragic pride (which is often the undoing of the hero).
Hamartia - The tragic hero’s ‘fatal flaw’.
dramatic irony - occurs when the development of the plot allows the
audience to possess more information about what is happening than some of
the
characters themselves have.
