Antigone Terms Literary terms

Aristotle defines tragedy as a play that recounts an important series of events in the life of a significant person, which culminates in an unhappy catastrophe. The protagonist makes a choice dictate by her/his hamartia. The purpose of tragedy is to arouse the emotions of pity and fear and thus produce in the audience a catharsis, or purging, of these emotions. Scenes of violence were often described in the text- but not enacted on the stage. tragedy

Groups of dancers and singers who comment on the action; in ancient Greece, their songs make up the bulk of the play. Chorus

Inciting movement, introduction (exposition), rising action, , complication, climax, reversal (turning point), falling actions, catastrophe, moment of last suspense. This is sometimes represented as a pyramid-Freytag’s pyramid-with a rising slope(rising action) and a falling slope(resolution). Dramatic structure

Error, mistaken, judgment or misstep through which the hero succumbs to misfortune; this error is not necessarily a flaw in character (fatal flaw) but it does move the character from happiness to misery. Hamartia

Overweening pride which results in misfortune of the protagonist; a tragic flaw that results form excessive pride, ambition, overconfidence, etc… that leads the protagonist to break moral law or ignore a divine warning with catastrophic results. hubris

Fatal flaw/ tragic flaw Flaw, error or defect in the tragic hero which leads to the hero’s downfall. Fatal flaw/ tragic flaw

Beneficial effect tragedy has on spectators; perhaps the viewer learns to avoid the pitfalls to which the hero succumbed; perhaps the opportunity to vicariously experience fear and pity is emotionally cleansing; perhaps the viewer identifies empathically with the hero, who becomes a scapegoat for the viewer’s hopes and faults. catharsis

The event or force which starts the falling action in a tragedy; it often follows closely upon the climax. Tragic force

Inborn capacities Arete