Literary Criticism on Tragedies

I. Literary Criticism

II. Tragic Hero

Tragedy is the limitation of a certain magnitude. The tragic hero is a man of noble birth, a man of high degree. His fate affects many. He is good but has flaws (hamartia). His flaw is an error or frailty and is not caused by vice or depravity. His flaw brings about his inevitable down fall or catastrophe. Tragic irony lies in the contrast between the vision he has of his future and the disaster, which befalls him. Despite the inevitability of his fate, (disaster, catastrophe). The protagonist asserts his dignity and is committed inexorably to a noble cause. He believe he is doing the "right "thing. He struggles against his fate (disaster, catastrophe, and downfall) which is inevitable. He struggles to be more than human and increase his stature as a man. But since he is a man, he goes too far. He experiences a reversal and recognition. He recognizes his error and suffers profoundly. He has to suffer pity. He suffers and protests his fate. The suffering enables him to become human, wise, and see his place in the universe that he is not a god, but a man, limited. The audience watches the spectacle of suffering and experiences fear and pity and then catharsis. The release of these emotions leaves a sense of tragic awe at the nobility of human spirit, which struggles against its limitations.

 

III.Notes on Tragedy

  1. Elements of Greek Tragedy
  1. Plots were religious myths familiar to the audience
  1. No suspense-more subtle techniques
  1. foreshadowing-hint or clue of a future event
  2. verbal or "Sophoclean irony"-audience knows more than the character and a different meaning for the audience
  1. All Greek plays had Unity
  1. Form
  1. Sophocles changed form of Greek Tragedy
  1. The Chorus
  1. Aristotle 384-322BC
  1. Wrote Poetics-the study of Greek Drama
  1. Tragedy
  1. Subject of tragedy is a struggle and down falls of a hero
  2. Aim of tragedy is to bring about a catharsis--is a process that causes the audience to feel pity and fear and then purges them of these emotions so that they leave the theater feeling cleansed and uplifted.
  1. Tragic Hero
  1. Man/Woman of noble birth-a "good" person, not god-like
  2. Has a flaw in his character
  1. involved in a noble cause-an action of a certain magnitude in which the hero believes he is doing the right thing.
  2. Struggles against his fate that is inevitable
  3. Experiences reversal and recognition

IV. Vocabulary words on Oedipus

Hubris

Hamartia

Peripetaia

Theban Plays

Prologue

Parodos

Strophe

Antistrophe

Ode(Chorus)

Exodos