Shakespearean Tragedy and

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Shakespearean Tragedy and
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Characteristics of Shakespearean Tragedy

1. Although the tragedy may have many characters, it
   is preeminently the story of one person or at the
   most two.
2. The story leads up to and includes the death of
   the hero.
3. The story depicts also the troubled part of the
   heros life which precedes and leads up to his
   death.
4. The hero is a conspicuous person, a person of
   high degree. His downfall influences/destroys
   society.
5. The suffering and calamity are exceptional, of a
   striking kind. They are as a rule unexpected and
   are a strong contrast to previous happiness or
   glory.
6. The suffering and calamity extend far beyond the
   protagonist so as to make the whole scene one of
   woe.
7. This scene becomes the chief source of the tragic
   emotions, especially pity.

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Other Elements of a Tragedy

1. A tragedy should have a protagonist or
   protagonists worthy of our interest, concern, or
   sympathy. An evil or depraved character cannot
   be a tragic hero.
2. The disaster that befalls the protagonist should
   be inevitable, either decreed by fate or the
   clear outcome of the actions engaged in or the
   choices made by him. Despite the inevitability
   of his destiny, the protagonist must assert his
   force and dignity as a person and not take
   destruction meekly without battle or protest.
   The protagonist may be a victim, but he must not
   bow in total acceptance of his destruction.

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Other Elements of a Tragedy

1. The cause for which the protagonist fights must
   be a noble one the choice he makes when faced
   with a dilemma must be for a cause that has a
   measure of good in it. Since he must be
   defeated, his defeat must be the result of action
   that is worth if not worthy in itself, then
   worthy in terms of the goal he seeks.
2. The world of the tragic play is a turbulent one,
   in a disarray to play havoc with the life of the
   protagonist. Though it appears that the death or
   defeat of the protagonist restores order to this
   world, it is an illusion since the new order can
   no longer help the protagonist and is ready for a
   new protagonist with whom it can play a new game.
   Disequilibrium of the universe is an essential
   of tragedy.

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Other Characteristics of a Tragic Hero (Aristotle)

1. This character is not completely good or bad.
2. His/her misfortune is brought about by some error
   or frailty, which is the tragic flaw.
3. The flaw is often hubris arrogance caused by
   excessive pride.
4. The heros fall must be from a tremendous height.
5. Because of the tragic flaw, the hero is
   responsible on some level for his or her
   downfall.
6. The hero comes to recognize his error and accept
   the consequences.
7. He is not angry he is humbled and enlightened.
8. The audience, though, feels that the heros
   punishment exceeds his crime.
9. We see that the hero is flawed like us, and fear
   for ourselves because he failed.
10. The observing of the tragic heros downfall and
    ultimate punishment creates a catharsis the
    purging of emotion.

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Guy Fawkes

• Former soldier and devout Catholic
• Caught in the cellars of Parliament with nearly
  1800 pounds of gunpowder on November 5, 1605
• If successful, the plot would have not only blown
  up Parliament and many members of the English
  aristocracy, but King James I, who would be
  addressing the general assembly on planned date
  of detonation.

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The Gunpowder Plot

• Under Protestant James, Catholics were severely
  persecuted their faith was deemed a crime.
• Fawkes and his co-conspirators (including Robert
  Catesby and Henry Garnet) wanted to rid England
  of Protestant James, and install his 9 year-old
  daughter on the throne, making England a Catholic
  nation again.
• The plan did not succeed Fawkes was arrested,
  tortured into confession, and charged with
  treason and attempted murder.
• Fawkes, along with many others, was executed on
  January 31, 1606.
• Remember, remember the Fifth of NovemberThe
  gunpowder, treason, and plotI see no reason the
  Gunpowder TreasonShould ever be forgot

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What does this have to do with Macbeth??

• Scottish-born James I claimed to trace his linage
  back to Banquo, a contemporary of the real
  Macbeth. Having a play set in Scotland would
  certainly please the Scottish king, especially
  when it dealt with witches and other things of a
  dark nature (James was a firm believer in the
  evils of black magic).
• It is widely thought that Shakespeare published
  Macbeth in order to sooth the king in this time
  of national turmoil. (Some people think
  Shakespeares name was on the list of
  conspirators and he wrote the play to appease
  James, but this is unlikely.) Shakespeare also
  took liberties with the character of Banquo,
  making him more heroic and noble than history
  claimed him to be.
• Henry Garnet had secretly published A Treatise of
  Equivocation, which was a kind of guidebook on
  how to lie under oath about ones faith. To
  equivocate meant to not exactly lie, but not tell
  the whole truth either. This theme comes up in
  Shakespeares play (and is mentioned directly in
  the Porters speech), as well as issues such as
  loyalty to ones king and country.
• People in England still celebrate Guy Fawkes Day
  on November 5th, with bonfires and fireworks.
  Stuffed dummies representing Fawkes are
  traditionally burnt on this night.

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Macbeth

• Written sometime between 1603-1607 (probably
  after the Gunpowder plot)
• Set in approx. 1040 AD in Scotland
• Macbeth is the Thane (Duke) of Glamis and a
  captain in King Duncans army
• Slowly, Macbeths lust for power overwhelms his
  sensibilities
• Theme of "fair is foul, foul is fair" paradoxes
  of appearance and reality
• Blood is mentioned over 100 times in play
• Conforms to the mold/structure of Renaissance
  tragedies, which were about real people from
  history, made to feel like an authentic human
  being - "psychological truth"