Tragedy Literary Terms Source: C. Hugh Holman’s A Handbook to Literature Fourth Edition

These terms will be defined: tragedy tragic hero hamartia hubris catastrophe catharsis tragic irony comic relief crisis pathos pathetic figure nemesis

Tragedy… In the context of drama, tragedy refers to the genre defined by Aristotle in his Poetics upon his observations of Sophocles’ Oedipus the King...

Characteristics of Tragedy It involves a series of events in the life of a person of significance which culminate in an unhappy catastrophe. The narrative is treated with great dignity and seriousness.

The language of tragedy Since tragedy is held in high regard, examining philosophies, beliefs, political issues, and a person’s relationship to the gods (in the cultural context of ancient Greece), why would the dialogue be written in poetic form? Making the form of language suit the elevation of the genre is called decorum.

The Purpose of Tragedy The purpose is to produce an emotional catharsis in the audience.

The Importance of Plot STRUCTURE Pity and fear may be aroused by spectacle or by the structure and incidents of the play, the latter of which being the better one such that plot is “the soul of a tragedy.”

The Central Figure The protagonist is a tragic hero who is neither purely good, nor extremely faulty, but is admired above the ordinary person. This virtuous person is brought from happiness to misery.

Focus on LEADERSHIP and the Legitimacy of Authority Shakespeare’s tragic protagonists were kings and rulers.

WHY? Why might a dramatist living long ago, during a period of monarchy, civil unrest, continuous threat of war, and risk of execution for personal beliefs hold the validity of authority up to the light in his plays? This question is helpful for drawing your eyes to what may have been important subtexts for the Elizabethan tragedian and his audience.

The Tragic Hero Someone of distinction, having admirable qualities, and is neither extremely faulty nor purely good. Possesses a tragic flaw…

Hamartia The error in judgement that brings about the protagonist’s downfall. It is often, but not always, caused by his hubris…

Hubris Overweening pride, which means an excessive sense of self-worth, ability, or control. Arrogance may blind the protagonist to the truth, or cause him to become less vigilant in a high-stakes situation. Since the tragic hero is often high born and in a position of authority, his mistake—his error in judgement—not only brings him personal misery, but has tragic consequences for his subjects.

The Catastrophe The conclusion of a tragedy; the final stage in the falling action ending the dramatic conflict, winding up the plot, and consisting of the actions that result from the climax. It usually is used in connection with a tragedy and involves the death of the hero. It is the denouement.

Catharsis According to Aristotle, the objective of tragedy is “through pity and fear effecting [sic]the proper purgation (catharsis) of emotions” in the audience. At the time, this had medical significance—viewing the tragedy unfold to its catastrophe, the audience member, purging an excess of emotions, then returns to a state of balance and emotional health.

Tragic irony A form of dramatic irony in which a character in a tragedy uses words which mean one thing to him or her and another to those better acquainted with the real situation (i.e., the audience), especially when the character is about to become a victim of Fate.

Comic relief A humorous scene, incident, or speech in the course of a serious fiction or drama that provides relief from emotional intensity and, by contrast, heightens the seriousness of the story. Can enrich and deepen the tragic implications of the action. Though not a portion of Aristotle’s formula for a tragedy, it has been almost universally employed by English playwrights.

Crisis The point at which the opposing forces that create the conflict interlock in the decisive action on which the plot will turn. Crisis is applied to the episode or incident wherein the situation in which the protagonist finds himself or herself is certain either to improve or to grow worse. Though not limited to the plot of tragedies, it is noteworthy to avoid confusion with the common usage of the word.

Pathos From the Greek root for suffering or deep feeling, pathos is the quality in art and literature which stimulates pity, tenderness, or sorrow in the reader or viewer. In its strict meaning, it is closely associated with the pity tragedy is supposed to evoke; however,…

Pathetic figure In its common usage, pathos describes an acquiescent or relatively helpless suffering or the sorrow occasioned by unmerited grief, as opposed to the stoic grandeur and awful justice of the tragic hero. Hamlet is a tragic figure and Ophelia a pathetic one. Lear’s fate is tragic, Cordelia’s pathetic.

Nemesis Divine retribution when an evil act brings about its own punishment and a tragic poetic justice prevails. From the Greek goddess of retributive justice or vengeance. An agent or an act of merited punishment, so it often becomes synonymous with fate, although a latent sense of justice is almost always associated with the term.