GREEK TRAGEDY

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GREEK TRAGEDY

• Aristotle - Poetics

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Aristotle
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Aristotle

• Greek philosopher
• Student of Plato
• Teacher of Alexander the Great
• Writings include many topics physics, logic,
  rhetoric, politics, and theatre (poetics
  literature)
• His ideas shaped medieval and Renaissance thought

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Concept of Tragedy

• Found in Poetics
• Tragedy is the imitation of an action that is
  serious or the imitation of an action of a higher
  type.
• Considers the noble
• Considered highest form of literature.
• Should arouse pity and fear aim of tragedy
• Should be instructive

• Learn from others mistakes

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Comedy

• What makes us laugh?

• the imitation of an action of a lower type.
• Considered inferior to tragedy
• Exploits of average people, not heads of state
  (classical sense)
• From Aristotle to Seinfeld, laugh at the
  incongruous, the ugly

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Comedy vs. Tragedy

• Tragedy is for the boardroom or the battlefield
• Tragedy is ennobling (makes us stronger).
• I suffer therefore, I am.

• Comedy is for the bathroom or the bedroom (human
  sexuality)
• Types include
• banter
• slapstick
• the mixup
• malapropisms
• It was beyond my apprehension.
• That was a real cliff dweller.

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Comedy
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Elements of Tragedy

• 1. Reversal someone of great stature takes a
  fall (reversal of fortune)
• 2. Flaw in the Greek harmartia- fall is due
  to an inherent problem in character for Greeks
  this was commonly HUBRIS

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Elements of Tragedy, cont.

• 3. Suffering I suffer therefore I am.
• 4. Discovery through suffering, the character
  finds out the error of his ways, yet it is too
  late to change events (Know thyself.)

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Elements of Tragedy

• 5. Catharsis a cleansing of emotion, a
  purgation, a purification for the audience.
• Audience is able to identify with tragic
  character. Vows never to commit such an act.

• A good cry

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Tragic Elements- 6. Resolution

• End of action the problem has been solved
  all wrongs have been righted.

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Resolution

• Also called the denouement
• The exodus
• In Sophocles, the resolution involves making
  peace with the gods.