Medea Structural and tragic conventions

Aristotle Aristotle wrote the ‘Poetics’ in the fourth century BC. He created a definition of tragedy that set the pattern for much of what we know as tragedy in drama.

Aristotle’s definition of tragedy ‘Tragedy, then, is an imitation of an action that is serious, complete, and of a certain magnitude; in language embellished with each kind of artistic ornament, the several kinds being found in separate parts of the play; in the form of action, not of narrative; through pity and fear effecting the proper purgation for these emotions.’

Pathos Aristotle wrote that a tragedy had to include the element of pathos (a scene of intense suffering that the plot of the play builds up to.)

The tragic hero The tragic hero should be a ruler or leader, whose character is good and whose misfortune is brought about by some error or frailty. According to Aristotle, every tragic hero should possess a weakness. However great men are, Aristotle believed that they had a frailty or made an error of judgement that led to their fall. They were not seen as evil people, wholly bad or good, because this would make them unrealistic. What is Medea’s flaw? To what extent can she be regarded as a tragic hero?

Pity and fear The special quality of man’s pleasure in tragedy comes from the purging of the passions of pity and fear felt by the audience as they watch the fate of the tragic hero unfold, recognising in it something that is universal. For Aristotle, it was essential that the tragic hero could excite two emotions in the audience: fear and pity. A perfect hero who turned bad could not arouse these emotions. How far do you think the character of Medea that Euripides creates achieves these two emotions, fear and pity?

Aristotle’s unities The three unities Aristotle is closely associated with the three dramatic unities of time, place and action, although in fact these were rules established by later writers who elaborated on Aristotle’s ideas. Time: the play must take place on a continuous time line. The length of the lives of the characters within the play must mirror the actual running time of the piece. Place: the play should be set in one place, giving a greater focus and emphasis on plot and character. Action: the action in the play must be consequential – that is, it must happen in sequence and the progression of events must be rational. Anything that detracts from the plot or is irrational should happen outside the direct action of the play. How far do these unities apply to Medea?

Tragic structure According to Aristotle in the Poetics, tragic structure must contain the following elements: Prologue Parados Episode Choral ode or stasimon Exodos. The prologue and parados provide the audience with a summary of past events that have led up to the moment of the play. They also build pace and anticipation for the entrance of the central character. There then follows six episodes (scenes) that develop the plot and character, and these are punctuated by six choral odes or stasimons. Now look at the structure of the play in more detail on the structure table.

Reversal, recognition and suffering Aristotle stated that the plot of a tragedy should contain three key elements of form at its climax: reversal, recognition and suffering Identify where these occur in ‘Medea’.

A scene involving the reversal of situation: when a character bringing good news or information actually finds that they are bringing bad news and adding to the suffering of the central character.

A scene involving a moment of recognition: when a character is made to face up to the horror of the tragic events of which they have been part or finally realises what they have to do.

A scene of suffering, which occurs after the moment of recognition. This usually comes in the exodos, immediately after the messenger’s speech. This is the moment in the play when the character is publicly punished for their actions, and their humiliation is complete. Traditionally, it is the tragic herowho experiences these emotions and the audience can share in the character’s grief, knowing that they have learnt from the experience. Both the protagonist and the audience experience catharsis.

The well-made play Aristotle’s ideas were expanded upon by 19th-century European writers to establish a structure for a well-made play. The basis of this was: The play should have an exposition, revealing the situation, outlining past events and providing a context for future action. The plot should have a rising complication in which events become more and more complex. The play should end in denouement or an unravelling and an explanation of all that has gone before.

Identify these moments in ‘Medea’ Draw up a line graph of ‘Medea’, plotting the moments of increasing dramatic tension and annotating with moments from the play.

(notes taken from 20Structure.pdf ) 20Structure.pdf