Advanced Humanities

 Commonly described as a play with an unhappy ending  Generally makes a statement about human frailty and failing  Two types of tragedies  Classical tragedy  Modern tragedy

 The protagonist is a tragic hero (leader aristocrat, etc.) with a tragic flaw (something wrong with him) that causes his tragic downfall  caused by fate\destiny.  Dramatic irony shows the difference between what a character thinks is going to happen and what actually does happen – oftentimes, the audience knows the truth long before the character does (Dramatic irony can be used in any genre of theatre).  Example: ◦ “Oedipus Rex” by Sophocles

 The protagonist is a regular person. The tragic downfall is NOT caused by fate, but instead by poor choices, bad luck, etc.  Example: ◦ “Death of a Salesman” by Arthur Miller

 Deals with light or amusing subjects or with serious and profound subjects in a light, familiar, or satirical manner  Generally has a happy ending  Examples: ◦ “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and “Much Ado About Nothing” by Shakespeare  Stock Character – stereotypical characters with predictable behaviors  Blocking Character - a person who tries to keep something from happening

 A mixture of tragedy and comedy  While they may not always end happily, they do typically avoid tragedy at the end  May end with the viewer having unanswered questions  Examples: ◦ Our Town by Thornton Wilder ◦ Trifles by Susan Glaspell