The tragedy genre is one of the oldest literary structures. The word “tragedy” is not used here in its usual sense of a real-world catastrophe that brings misery or loss of life, but rather dramas, often revolving around a character who is brought to personal ruin and destruction, often through his or her own actions or failings. Ancient Greek playwrights and philosophers established the genre during the creation of the stage drama, and later writers such as Shakespeare created masterworks using tragedy’s distinctive characteristics.
Stage drama was created by the ancient Greeks during public festivals more than 2,500 years ago. The word “tragedy” means “goat song,” and refers to the goats that were used as prizes or sacrifices during these festivals. At the time, there were only two genres of drama — comedy and tragedy — that inspired the comedy and tragedy masks that still symbolize drama in modern times. Early Greek masters of tragedy included Sophocles, Euripides, and Aeschylus.
Aristotle wrote an early analysis of the tragedy genre in his book Poetics in the third century BC. According to Aristotle, a tragedy always centers around a high-ranking person, such as a noble or king. During the play, this person faces the loss of status, loved ones, and even his life, usually as the result of personal weaknesses or failings. Often this failing is hubris, an inflated sense of a person’s own importance and infallibility. Aristotle believed such tragedies provided positive emotional and moral effects to the audience, a process he called catharsis.
Later playwrights added new characteristics to the genre. In Shakespeare’s tragedies, the protagonists could be ordinary people, such as Romeo and Juliet, and their tragic ends were often brought about by circumstance rather than personal faults. A strong moral undercurrent was also present. Tragedy befell characters who had committed great wrongs, such as Brutus from Julius Caesar or Macbeth, both of whom assassinated national leaders. Shakespeare’s Hamlet fulfills all the classic characteristics: he is a well-born hero whose quest for revenge against a king, even if justified, brings about a tragic end.
Some characteristics of the tragedy genre have changed in modern times. Playwright Arthur Miller wrote two of the 20th century’s greatest stage tragedies, Death of a Salesman and The Crucible. In the hands of Miller and other contemporary writers, the tragedy often contains subtle comments about the failings of society rather than, in addition to, the weaknesses of the central characters. Many modern writers have adapted Shakespeare’s timeless tragedies to their own purposes. Filmmaker Akira Kurosawa, for example, moved Shakespeare’s King Lear to the Japanese samurai era for his 1985 film Ran, adding epic battle scenes to the tragic tale.
What is an Aristotle Tragedy
Aristotle’s Poetics is the earliest surviving work of dramatic theory, and this work is a good source to examine Aristotle’s views on tragedy. According to Aristotle, a tragedy is characterized by seriousness. It represents or imitates reality. Thus, it is an imitation of action and life, of happiness and misery.
Aristotle describes six main elements of a tragedy: plot, character, diction, thought, spectacle (scenic effect), and song composition. The plot was considered to be the most important of these elements.
The plot must be a complete whole while containing a definite beginning, middle, and end. The plot also requires a single central theme where all elements are logically connected.
The plot of a tragedy usually revolves around a renowned and prosperous hero who faces a reversal fortune, particularly due to his own tragic flaw. The plot consists of two main elements: reversal, and recognition. A reversal occurs when a situation seems to be developing in one direction and then suddenly reverses in another direction. Oedipus’ investigation of the murder of Laius is an example of this element. Recognition is the point where the protagonist learns the truth of the situation or comes to a realization about himself or another character.
According to Aristotle, the aim of tragedy is to create catharsis – creating feelings of pity and fear in the spectators to purge them of these emotions ensuring that they leave the theatre feeling cleansed and uplifted. There is a sense of completeness in Aristotelian tragedies.
What is a Shakespearean Tragedy
Shakespearean tragedies were also influenced by Greek tragedies. Some similarities can be noted between both Aristotle and Shakespearean tragedy. Shakespearean tragedies also have a renowned or prosperous hero who experiences a reversal of fortune due to a tragic flaw. Macbeth, King Lear, Hamlet, Othello, Antony, and Cleopatra are some of Shakespeare’s famous tragedies.
However, some differences can also be noted between Aristotle and Shakespearean tragedies. Shakespearean tragedies do not follow the unity of the plot; Shakespeare interweaved many subplots into the play to make the plot more complicated and realistic. The protagonists in Shakespearean tragedies usually face a tragic death, not just a reversal of fortune. Moreover, these protagonists do not gain self-knowledge or recognize their flow like protagonists in Aristotelian tragedies.
The inclusion of comic scenes is another difference between Aristotle and Shakespearean tragedies. Aristotelian tragedies usually had a chorus that narrated the scenes that take place offstage and they also provided relief to the spectators. In Shakespearean tragedies, the chorus is replaced by comic scenes such as the porter’s scene in Macbeth.
Difference Between Aristotle and Shakespearean Tragedy
Plot
Aristotelian Tragedy: Aristotelian tragedy has a single central plot.
Shakespearean Tragedy: Shakespearean tragedy has several subplots.
End
Aristotelian Tragedy: The protagonist faced death or a reversal of fortune.
Shakespearean Tragedy: Protagonists often face a tragic death.
Chorus
Aristotelian Tragedy: Aristotelian tragedy had a chorus.
Shakespearean Tragedy: Shakespearean tragedy has replaced the chorus with a comic scene.
Recognition
Aristotelian Tragedy: The protagonist learns the truth of the situation or comes to a realization about himself.
Shakespearean Tragedy: The protagonist does not always gain self-knowledge.
Works Cited:-
Rankin Alan. “What are the characteristics of the Tragedy Genre?” LanguageHumanities.org, May 21.
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