Tragedy Themes Greek Tragedy dealt with important themes such as: Love Loss Pride The Abuse of Power Fraught Relationships Between Men and Gods

Tragedy Some of the following key themes or ideas are often present in Greek Tragedy: Hubris – exaggerated self pride or self-confidence In Ancient Greece, ‘hubris’ referred to actions taken in order to shame the victim, thereby making oneself seem superior Hubris was a crime in classical Athens; any acts of ‘outrageous treatment’ of another were considered acts of hubris.

Tragedy Fate – the Ancient Greeks believed in the will or principle determining how things come to be or happen as they do. Society during Euripides’ time believed that everything happened for a reason and that the path they led in life was prescribed for them by the Gods. They believed there was no escaping their fate or destiny.

Tragedy Ideas Aristotle – was a Greek philosopher, writer and scientist renowned for his transformation of what people previously believed. He considered tragedy to: depict the downfall of a basically good person through some fatal error or misjudgment produce suffering and insight for the protagonist as they realised their errors create pity and fear for the audience as they witnessed the protagonist’s downfall

Tragedy A true tragedy should evoke pity and fear on the part of the audience. Pity and fear are natural human responses to watching the pain and suffering of another, especially the sort of pain and suffering that can happen to anyone at any time. The effect of this is that by the end, we feel relief through catharsis, and are purged of these feelings.

Tragedy Plot The plot of a Greek Tragedy is considered to be ‘the arrangement of the incidents’ of the play i.e. not the story itself but the way the incidents are presented to the audience (the structure). Tragedies where the outcome depends on a clear construction of a cause-and-effect chain of actions are considered to be superior to those that focus mostly on the characteristics of the protagonist.

Tragedy The plot of a Greek Tragedy usually includes the following: A terrible crime is committed by the protagonist The foolishness and arrogance of the crime is not realised at first The protagonist slowly begins to realise his error but his world crumbles around him A pivotal or crucial action on the part of the protagonist that changes the situation to leave them vulnerable.

The tragic her0 The tragic hero must be essentially admirable and good. An audience will feel compassion for a character that it admires when that character is in a difficult situation. The more noble and admirable the character is, the greater the audience’s anxiety or grief becomes at their downfall. Key Term: Pathos

The tragic hero In a true tragedy, the hero’s demise must come as a result of a personal error or poor decision. In a tragedy, there is no such thing as an innocent victim. A genuinely tragic downfall cannot be purely a matter of blind accident or bad luck. The tragic hero must always bear some responsibility for their own doom.

The tragic hero Tragic Recognition or Insight A moment of insight and understanding in the mind of the tragic hero when he suddenly comprehends his own fate and destiny. Tragic Error A fatal error or mistake made by the protagonist that eventually leads to the final catastrophe. Retribution The inevitable punishment and pay back for the protagonist’s acts of hubris.

The tragic hero Catharsis A feeling of emotional purging or cleansing on the part of the audience during a tragedy. The audience feels pity and fear to begin with, but relief and exhilaration at the end.