Characteristics ofGreek Tragedy
•In literature, a tragedy is a form of drama thatshows the downfall of a dignified, superiorcharacter who participates in events of greatsignificance.
•The ancient Greeks, who developed tragedy, usedit to explore ideas about humans’ relationship tothe gods, often delving into such serious subjectsas duty, suffering, and fate. These ideas wereoften developed through motifs, concepts orelements that recur throughout the play to helpadvance its plot and reveal its theme.
•The tragic hero at the center of a tragedy is:
– a person of high rank who accepts his orher downfall with dignity. The tragic hero isone common archetype—a model fromwhich similar heroes have been copied forcenturies in mythic, traditional, and classicalliterature.
–Neither completely good nor bad, but isbasically a decent yet flawed person
Tragedy seeks to arouse pity and view inviewers/readers as they witness the hero’scourage and dignity in the face of certaindoom
•A tragic flaw:
–Is an error in judgment or a weakness incharacter, such as pride or arrogance
–helps bring about the hero’s downfall. Thetragic hero recognizes this flaw and itsconsequences but only after it is too late tochange the course of events.
•A tragedy ends with a catastrophe:
–a disastrous conclusion that usually involvesmultiple deaths. If the tragic hero does notdie, then he or she suffers complete ruin.
–The situation must have majorcomplications beyond the tragic hero
•Example: the death of a grandparentwould be sad, whereas the death of ageneral on the eve of a war’s end is tragicand potentially catastrophic.
•Throughout a tragedy, the chorus—a maskedgroup of actors—observe and comment on theaction through songs. Their responses and valueswere supposed to reflect those of the audience.
•The ancient Greeks believed in the idea of fate, ora destiny preordained by the gods no matterwhat action a person takes in the present.
•The Fates, or Moirai, were three goddesses whodetermined the length of a person’s life and howmuch suffering it would contain. Greeks held thatit was impossible to escape one’s fate. This beliefis reflected in such ancient tragedies as Oedipusthe King and Antigone.
As you read Antigone and the excerpt fromOedipus, consider the following questions:
•What kind of person is each hero?
•To what extent are tragic heroes responsiblefor what happens to them?
•To what extent do tragic heroes try to avoidfate?
•What attitude toward the Greek gods doeseach play suggest?