Tragedy & The Tragic Hero “Wisdom comes alone through suffering” - Aeschylus

Tragedy A form of drama where the protagonist comes to an unhappy end.

The three unities of Greek drama Unity of action: the action should be one story line that maintains the interest of the audience Unity of place: the action should be limited to a single location Unity of time: the time represented should be limited to at most one single day

A tragic hero is: Larger than life; seems invincible Neither exceptionally virtuous or exceptionally evil Often a lonely character Set against a force that is often incomprehensible to him/her Illustrates human smallness in relation to the universe

(cont.) A tragic hero is: Nobler than the common citizen and is often of royal birth Endowed with a tragic flaw, and doomed to make a serious error in judgment because of this flaw Will fall from high esteem Will realize they have made an irreversible mistake

(cont.) A tragic hero is: Will face death with honor Will meet a tragic end/death Inevitably destroyed because of some tragic flaw

Tragic Wheel Tragic Hero Catharsis Tragic Wheel Hamartia Peripeteia Anagnorisis

Hamartia “Tragic flaw” The hero is neither good nor evil, but rather very human with a moral weakness or error Hubris or “excessive pride” is a common hamartia.

Anagnorisis “Recognition” This is the moment of comprehension when our tragic hero becomes aware of his hamartia. Typically at this point the hero will attempt to rectify events all to no avail.

Peripeteia “The reversal from one state of affairs to its opposite” This is the point at which the hero realizes all is lost.

Catharsis “The purging of emotions by the audience.” A good tragedy will evoke both pity and fear in the audience. All of the destructive actions that take place at the close of the drama lead to the release of this emotion.

Chorus Group of 12-15 men who sing and dance in the orchestra during the plays. They often represent the collective community, but not necessarily the poet's thoughts. The leader of the chorus was called the choryphaeus. This person would often step forward to speak with the protagonist.

Organization of a Greek Tragedy The basic structure of a Greek tragedy is fairly simple. After a prologue spoken by one or more characters, the chorus enters, singing and dancing. Scenes then alternate between spoken sections (dialogue between characters, and between characters and chorus) and sung sections (during which the chorus danced). Here are the basic parts of a Greek Tragedy:

Organization of a Greek Tragedy (cont.) Prologue: Spoken by one or two characters before the chorus appears. The prologue usually gives the mythological background necessary for understanding the events of the play. Parodos: This is the song sung by the chorus as it first enters the orchestra and dances. First Episode: This is the first of many "episodes", when the characters and chorus talk.

Organization of a Greek Tragedy (cont.) First Stasimon: At the end of each episode, the other characters usually leave the stage and the chorus dances and sings a stasimon, or choral ode. The ode usually reflects on the things said and done in the episodes, and puts it into some kind of larger mythological framework.

Organization of a Greek Tragedy (cont.) For the rest of the play, there is alternation between episodes and stasima, until the final scene, called the... Exodos: At the end of play, the chorus exits singing a processional song which usually offers words of wisdom related to the actions and outcome of the play.

Conventions of a Greek Tragedy All of the actors were men. Plays were performed outdoors. Playwrights usually directed and acted in their own plays. Typically there were only three actors and the chorus. If there were more than three characters the actors would simply change masks.

Conventions of a Greek Tragedy (cont.) The actors wore masks in order to: have their characters be easily recognized by the audience, be heard by the audience (they contained megaphones), and to play multiple roles. Greek plays were performed as part of religious festivals in honor of the god Dionysus, and unless later revived, were performed only once.

Conventions of a Greek Tragedy (cont.) Tragedies almost exclusively dealt with stories from the mythic past (there was no "contemporary" tragedy). Plays were funded by the polis (the “city state”), and always presented in competition with other plays, and were voted either the first, second, or third (last) place.

Conventions of a Greek Tragedy (cont.) Greek tragedies examined: the consequences of an individual’s actions. the relationship of people to the gods. the role fate plays in life.

Sophocles (496-406 BC) Sophocles lived during the Classical Period in Athens, Greece (5th century B.C.) classical period = a time of great political and cultural achievement; a renaissance of sorts Sophocles was loved by the people of Greece; held political positions in addition to writing great dramas

Sophocles (496-406 BC) Sophocles demonstrates great insight into human suffering Sophocles’ writing explores the struggle for self-knowledge. the conflict between personal and social values. Only seven of Sophocles’ 123 plays survive today.