P1+Sarah+N

=TRAGEDY =

Sarah Nadal

The word //tragedy// has so many meanings and can be applied to so many different situations that it is hard to limit it to a single definition. Tragedy changes its definition based on who is experiencing it--what one person perceives as tragic may not be to someone else. Ludwig Wittgenstein asserts that "You get tragedy where the tree, instead of bending, breaks." Wittgenstein creates a metaphor about humans and the point at which they completely fall apart. In the eyes of Wittgenstein, this is tragedy. He believes people can only take so much and the point at which they cannot handle what is thrown at them is the tragedy. The dictionary states that a tragedy is "an event causing great suffering, destruction, and distress, such as a serious accident, crime, or natural catastrophe" ("Tragedy"). While this explanation fits with Wittgenstein's assertion, it sets limits on what causes a tragedy - "a serious accident, crime, or natural catastrophe." Wittgenstein believes anything can cause a "tragedy," but it is not the event that is the tragedy. It is its affect on the human experiencing it.

Works Cited

"Tragedy." //New Oxford American Dictionary.// Print.

"Tragedies Quotes." //Quotationsbook.// Quotationsbook, n.d. Web. 30 November 2009. 