World Literature Final Exam Study Guide (A+ GUARANTEED)

What are some descriptions of a tragedy? correct answers - must be something monumental (the assassination of a president, which significantly alters all of our lives) - must have profound consequences involving people whose fate affects many beyond themselves - must be a public event rather than a private event Who said, "Tragedy is an imitation of an action that is serious, complete, and of a certain magnitude; in language embellished with each kind of artistic ornament... in the form of action, not of narrative; with incidents arousing pity and fear, wherewith to accomplish its katharsis of such emotions." correct answers - Aristotle What are some characteristics of a tragic hero? correct answers - must excite pity & fear- one who is neither evil nor extremely virtuous - be of high stature - be extraordinary, not typical Describe the tragic hero's tragic flaw correct answers - misfortune for the hero is brought about not by vice or depravity, but by an error made by himself - some error or frailty which brings about the hero's misfortune - might be: ambition, pride, rashness, passion - external circumstances can also contribute to the downfall Describe Tragic Plot correct answers - complete & complex with a beginning, middle, & end - events must lead naturally to what follows and point towards the end end must follow naturally from what has gone before and conclude the action - must be a chain of events that change a situation from good to bad fortune What is a complex tragic plot? What is a reversal tragic plot? What is a recognition tragic plot? correct answers - moves in various directions by means of reversal and recognition - accuser becomes the accused & the prosecuter becomes the defendant - change from ignorance to knowledge; increases the tragic effect of the drama What does Aristotle say/believe about tragic plays? correct answers - says tragedy should be expressed in poetry (the highest form of expression in Aristotle's time. "Embellished language.") - believes the lines should be acted, not simply read or told (the audience must see that drama unfold before them, not just a narrative) Describe the audience's feelings towards tragedies correct answers - tragedies made the audience fear that such events could happen to them - they make the audience feel pity for the tragic figure (main character)