The power to change feelings
C.J. Hassan
Mr. Woodbury
English H/P. 5
4/19/13
Tragedy: The Power to Change Feelings
“Tragedy” is a term that although complex was given definition by Aristotle in his Poetics. In drama, specifically, “. . . a tragedy is a play, in verse or prose, that recounts an important and casually related series of events in the life of a person of significance, such events culminating in an unhappy catastrophe, the whole treated with great dignity and seriousness” (Handbook 505). Sophocles’ play Oedipus Rex serves as the best example of this genre with its defining components aimed to arouse both pity and fear in the audience. According to Aristotle, “. . . [P]lot is the soul of a tragedy. Such a plot must involve a protagonist who is better than ordinary people, and this virtuous person must be brought from happiness to misery” (Handbook 505). Tragedy as a genre has remained an important motif over time and can be seen specifically in three major works: Oedipus Rex, Macbeth, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The first great tragedy of antiquity and written by Sophocles in circa 5th century BCE, Oedipus Rex is acclaimed as an exemplary drama in the genre (“Mythological Background” 66). As stated earlier, given strict definition by Aristotle in his Poetics , Oedipus Rex appears to be the prototype that helps establish the early guidelines that deal with the “tragic hero” and his qualifications (“Aristotle’s Influence on Our Understanding of Tragedy” 69). In fact, it has been noted that
Oedipus is the model of the “tragic hero,” because the concept is based on him. Because of his hamartia (mistake), he suffers a peripeteia (reversal), which, for Aristotle, is the heart of tragedy. Although often translated as “tragic flaw,” hamartia does not indicate a deep or abiding personality failure, such as “pride” or “lust,” but means a mistake of perception or recognition. . . . (“Aristotle’s Influence on Our Understanding of Tragedy” 69)
This reversal of
Mr. Woodbury
English H/P. 5
4/19/13
Tragedy: The Power to Change Feelings
“Tragedy” is a term that although complex was given definition by Aristotle in his Poetics. In drama, specifically, “. . . a tragedy is a play, in verse or prose, that recounts an important and casually related series of events in the life of a person of significance, such events culminating in an unhappy catastrophe, the whole treated with great dignity and seriousness” (Handbook 505). Sophocles’ play Oedipus Rex serves as the best example of this genre with its defining components aimed to arouse both pity and fear in the audience. According to Aristotle, “. . . [P]lot is the soul of a tragedy. Such a plot must involve a protagonist who is better than ordinary people, and this virtuous person must be brought from happiness to misery” (Handbook 505). Tragedy as a genre has remained an important motif over time and can be seen specifically in three major works: Oedipus Rex, Macbeth, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The first great tragedy of antiquity and written by Sophocles in circa 5th century BCE, Oedipus Rex is acclaimed as an exemplary drama in the genre (“Mythological Background” 66). As stated earlier, given strict definition by Aristotle in his Poetics , Oedipus Rex appears to be the prototype that helps establish the early guidelines that deal with the “tragic hero” and his qualifications (“Aristotle’s Influence on Our Understanding of Tragedy” 69). In fact, it has been noted that
Oedipus is the model of the “tragic hero,” because the concept is based on him. Because of his hamartia (mistake), he suffers a peripeteia (reversal), which, for Aristotle, is the heart of tragedy. Although often translated as “tragic flaw,” hamartia does not indicate a deep or abiding personality failure, such as “pride” or “lust,” but means a mistake of perception or recognition. . . . (“Aristotle’s Influence on Our Understanding of Tragedy” 69)
This reversal of
Cited: Lynn, Tara E. “Macbeth.” Shakespeare Bulletin 26.3 (2008): 77+. Questia. Web. 16 April 2013. Nostbakken, Faith. Understanding a Midsummer Night’s Dream: A Student Casebook To Issues, Sources, and Historical Documents. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2003. Questia. Web. 16 April 2013. Segal, Charles. Oedipus Tyrannus: Tragic Heroism and the Limits of Knowledge. 2nd ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 2001. Questia. Web. 16 April 2013. Shakespeare, William. A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Dover Thrift Study Edition. Mineola, New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 2009. Macbeth.Dover Thrift Study Edition. Mineola, New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 2009. Sophocles. Oedipus Rex. Prestwick House Literary Touchstone Classics. Unabridged with Glossary and Notes. Clayton, Delaware: Prestwick House Inc., 2005. “Tragedy.” A Handbook to Literature. Fifth Edition. Edited by C. Hugh Holemen and William Harmen. New York; Macmillan Publishing Company, 1986. 505-508 “Tragicomedy” A Handbook to Literature. Fifth Edition. Edited by C. Hugh Holemen and William Harmen. New York; Macmillan Publishing Company, 1986. 508