2.  This presentation is broken into two parts: 1. The author, Sophocles (“Soph-oh-cleez”) 2. The Tragic Hero

4.  Lived 400-500 centuries B.C.  Greek drama-writer, aka “Dramatist”  Greek play-writer, aka “Playwright”  “Reigning champion of Greek drama” & the “Golden Superstar of the Golden Age of Greece”…he was a pretty good writer  Wrote 123 dramas, won 24-30 competitions, and never placed less than 2 nd …again, good

6.  Aristotle was a Greek scholar and philosopher  Wrote ideas about tragedy in a book of literary theory called Poetics.  He outlined the characteristics of a tragic hero, a different type of character from what we know of as a hero.  AKA: Aristotle “invented” the “tragic hero.”

7.  Noble birth  Imperfect character  Tragic flaw (hamartia)  Too harshly punished for a crime  Change is experienced (dynamic!)  “Emotional cleanse” (catharsis) for the audience Explanations coming up!

8.  Character must be of a “high status” in society  He/she must possess nobility and virtue as part of their natural, or innate, character

9.  The character is not perfect  This enables the audience to identify with the character, even though they may be of different social class or economic status.

10.  Called hamartia in greek terms  Typically an error in judgment  Usually a result of hubris= arrogance, pride or overconfidence  Always a result of personal choice  Not the result of destiny

11.  The audience sees that the misfortune of the character is not entirely deserved.  Somehow the character’s punishment for their actions exceeds their crime

12.  The fall of the character is not purely depressing  Something changes or takes place within the character  Awareness, self-knowledge, discovery

13.  The conclusion of the story does not leave the audience depressed  The process arouses unhealthy emotions  The emotions are then cleansed through watching the play  This was not just entertainment, but believe to help the emotional health of the community.

14.  Pronounce the play we will be reading AND the author who wrote it.  What is the author’s profession & where did he write?  Who “invented” the archetype (model, template) of the tragic hero?  Call on students to recall and explain characteristics of the tragic hero.  Make a prediction…(make connections!)