SH+P3+Tragedy

Aim (Riley Zerbe) :

A tragedy is a "__plot in which the protagonist, because of some inherent flaw in his/her character, dies__." (Hodgson) The purpose of tragedies is different from example to example and is used in different ways by different authors. However on a basic level tragedies are used to elicit a sorrowful response from the reader, which results from the downfall of the main character. “Aristotle wrote that the purpose of Tragedy is to evoke a wonder born of pity and fear, the result of which is cathartic.” (Hodgson) In a tragedy the main character shows a fault that will the lead to their downfall. The clear expression of this major fault first of all helps the reader identify with the character and sympathize with them and second drives the character towards their demise. The play Julius Caesar may be classified as a tragedy. In the play Caesar has the fault of his own ambition, which is shown in his going to Rome and then the Senate to claim Rome, he is then killed by conspirators trying to stem his ambition and “save” Rome. It can also be classified as a Tragedy by looking at the perspective of Brutus or even Cassius. Brutus sought to free Rome from tyranny but was overcome with his own fault of arrogance and certainty that he was right, he then killed himself after he lost the battle of Philippi. In both of those cases the aim of the tragedy was to show make the reader sympathized with both sides while still showing that what happened to them was their own fault.

Works Cited:

Hodgson, John W. "Understanding Dramatic Tragedy." //Understanding Dramatic Tragedy//. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2012. .

"Tragedy: The Basics." //Tragedy: The Basics//. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2012. .

Tragedy appeals to very large "audience". During a study on evolution psychology, it was said best that "There must be a reason that people feel good for feeling bad. I suggest that the reason is that Nature is rewarding us for rehearsing bad emotions" (Evolutionary Psychology 1). There is something appealing to most people to hear a sad story. At the time of Shakespeare a tragedy was not hard to come by, especially from William himself. As it was a very popular genre for plays at the time and still is - it became an aspect of most people's lives. Had Shakespeare not been around; the audience for tragedy could not be what it is at now. A more depressing story soon became the normal and in modern society very few people are adverse to the subject matter. Today, the "audience" for tragedy is constantly growing and one of the most common genres for the theatre.
 * Audience** (Jack Gilette) :

http://www.lloydianaspects.co.uk/evolve/tragedy.html

Historical (Christina Evans) : Tragic stories create great amounts of thought and meaning to people. Not only were these types of plays written to be performed before kings and queens, they were also shown to all kinds of people. This created a connection between all of the people. This form of theatre performance told stories to all of the people, and would even change some's ideas of the world. Shakespeare wrote many tragedies during his lifetime. These stories of his usually ended in death for the majority of the characters. Merriam-Webster defines tragedy as "a medieval narrative poem or tale typically describing the downfall of a great man" (Merriam-Webster). The main character, many times could be called the hero or the "great man" of the story, would usually have the most extreme and meaningful death in the play. These plays were also typically written in verse ("Tragedy.."). These stories impacted all of society, for theatre was much more popular and regularly seen then during modern times today. Tragedies were used all the way back in time from the greeks, until modern day literature. Tragedy, however, was most commonly used during Elizabethan and Shakespearean times, more so than any others. It all started out with a chorus of narrators telling a story about mute characters on a stage. This ended up evolving into the type of dramatic theatre know in this day and age. As well as starting out during ancient greek and roman times, tragedies were used to explain the world to all kinds of cultures. Tragedies were sometimes even used create an impact on future generations. Written plays, both tragic and comedic, have lasted for quite a long amount of time. Some have continued the human element for generations, such as Shakespeare's work has. This type of play writing has grown and evolved for many years; tragedies will continue to evolve for generations to come.

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tragedy

http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/english/melani/cs6/tragedy.html

Cultural (Harrisen Haslem) : Back in the time of Aristotle, tragedies were only suppose to depict those with power or had some sort of higher status. In today’s modern era, tragedies can be written about anyone. But again, not many tragedies are written today anyways. In Arthur Miller’s book “Tragedy and the Common Man” he writes, “It has often been held that the lack is due to a paucity of heroes among us, or else that modern man has had the blood drawn out of his organs of belief by the skepticism of science, and the heroic attack on life cannot feed on an attitude of reserve and circumspection.” What this is saying is that tragedies have died in our modern time because we lack the people worth remembering and making a play out of their life and accomplishments. It also says that science has out-ruled the fantastical ways of tragedies. People don’t believe in the supernatural anymore. They structure of the way that tragedies are written themselves have also changed to fit with the today’s time. Tragedies written today do not idolize and have the plot center around a high standing person such as a king or queen. We just don’t have many of those around anymore. Also, the way things are said and the way the stage is set and looks to the audience is different. “While traditional tragedy uses eccentric language and poetry to convey it's message, Modern focuses more on non-verbal expression. The structure of the plot, the movements and gestures used, elements; such as sound and light, all communicate meanings "below the surface" that words cannot” (wiki-answers).

WORKS CITED

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