SH+P6+2014-15+Tragedy


 * Aim**: Hsin-Yu Chen

Through passion and grief, tragedies portray strong emotions that affect audiences world wide. From Shakespeare’s works to modern “serious subject matters”, it does not always have to be in the form of a drama. In a partially simple encompassing definition from Literary Devices, “Tragedy is [a] kind of drama that presents a serious subject matter about human suffering and corresponding terrible events in a dignified manner” (“Tragedy”). No matter the form, emotion is what drives every tragedy, to which even life can be interpreted as an ongoing drama. Feelings are an unexplainable experience that no explanation can describe. These abstract concepts drive the tragedy towards unimaginative shadows within the mind to create turmoil. Arising from experience, tragedies are understood and shown in wisps of brief satisfaction to only end in speechless darkness. Without tragedies, no happiness can be compared to the sadness of life’s sufferings.

**Audience**: Hsin-Yu Chen

No audience can leave without an impression in an unknown place with more dark emotions. It is what dwells on the audience to be entwined with Tragedy’s desire and plunge into “an unaccountable pleasure”. Which to “afford only faint gleams of pleasure, which are thrown in by way of variety, and in order to plunge the actors into deeper distress, by means of that contrast and disappointment”, emotional turns take place leaving fragments to be picked up and connected again with another tragedy. The way of words with their different connotations dig into people’s emotions that may be expressed on their physical features, with raising eyebrows of disbelief to wet eyes in sadness. Emotions unintentionally push the imagination to come alive, “rousing and supporting the compassion and indignation, the anxiety and resentment [in the] audience” (Hume 1). The place of those feelings is the unknown in the audience. Unknown in the tragedy “relish none of those beauties of imagination or expression, which, if joined to passion, give it such exquisite entertainment” (Hume 3). It is up to the audience as to how to overcome or control this “tragedy” in being able to place it in dignity and/or recognize the succumbing to compelling emotions that may affect them in any way.

**Historical**: Harrison Schonbrun

Tragedy has a long and treasured history ranging from the ancient greeks to our modern world. It was used as a means of exploring the human mind and the character of oneself. The ancient poets would often come up with competing definitions of what makes a tragedy. Plato said that a tragedy was “ simple narrative in epic, or dramatic representation, 'giving a speech as if being someone else, so .... the diction is as far a possible the same as that one whom he announces as about to speak” (Fraser 1). That was one of many ideas. Plato thought less highly of the tragedy than many of his contemporaries. One of his other contemporaries was Aristotle who said of tragedy, “Plot (muthos) is defined as the organisation of the events, and is distinguished by its thematic organisation (also the criterion of narrative in modern literary theory). Types of plot are discussed at some length. Among the definitions which are introduced are the notion of plot form, as a whole, with beginning, middle and end, a disease (complication) and lusis (dénouement), and the division of plots into simple or complex by the criterion of peripeteia (reversal of fortune -).” (Wheeler 1). Aristotle showed that he thought a tragedy was a means of conveying a difficult message something that many poets works have agreed with. Tragedies were held in a different light in greece, for example plays were only ever performed on religious occasions. Walter Englert of Reed university wrote, “Greek plays were performed as part of religious festivals in honor of the god Dionysus, and unless later revived, were performed only once. Plays were funded by the polis, and always presented in competition with other plays, and were voted either the first, second, or third (last) place. Tragedies almost exclusively dealt with stories from the mythic past (there was no "contemporary" tragedy), comedies almost exclusively with contemporary figures and problems.” (Englert 1). Tragedies were used to show what shaped the human mind and body. Says one professor, “Tragedy distills and purifies pity and fear so that it becomes more intense to the audience”(Wheeler 1). The plays have kept with their roots with many authors such as Shakespeare using the tragedy as a social commentary. This has placed Tragedy into a special place in history,one that has turned many works into classics. Tragedy is a means of looking into the soul and the preservation of this history showed that many of these questions are still unanswered.

**Cultural**: Harrison Schonbrun

Tragedy is used as a device to measure a society and its values. Ancient civilizations such as Greece tended to have far more interest in tragedy than the world does today. Carson- Newman university says, “Many people do not see the point to tragedy. Much of American pop culture tends to embrace the comic vision of art, finding tragedy depressing or disturbing. However, in the 5th century B.C.E., the classical Greek writers thought that facing tragedy was a healthy and necessary antidote to human foolishness. It taught humans to know themselves in a way comedy could not.” (Wheeler 1). The greeks used Tragedy to poke at humans and show the flaws and virtues of humanity. It was a mass mockery in effect. Tragedy was used to great effect in literature for years afterwards leading numerous Authors to use it as vessel to show their thoughts on humanity as well. One such author C.S. Lewis wrote, “Tragedy occurs in human lives so that we will learn to reach out and comfort others” (Wheeler 1). Tragedy influences the collective conscience, it allows humans to explore their rational thoughts and desires. Tragedy is used in great effect in the work of shakespeare, as the author explores what causes the characters to fall into a downward spiral, and how the public helped shape what had to happen. Tragedy is the way authors have examined the world for millennia. David Hume said that, “The affection, rousing the mind, excites a large stock of spirit and vehemence; which is all transformed into pleasure by the force of the prevailing movement” (Hume 3). Tragedy as a result arises a certain train of thought in the mind, it excites humans and causes them to reexamine how they are as people.. It pleases them to know that they can learn from the mistakes of these heros, and thats what comes off as the purpose of the tragedy: to learn. This is what has transformed many tragedies into works of Literature and has kept them alive in culture. The ability to measure society's values is what keeps tragedy alive.

Englert, Walter. ”Ancient Greek Theatre.” //Reed university//. Hum 110 Tech. Web. 5 January 2015. Fraser, Bruce. “The Influence of Greek Tragedy.” //Cambridge University//. May 1997. Web. 5 January 2015. Hume, David. “Of Tragedy.” Web. 5 January 2015. "Tragedy." //Literary Devices//. Literary Devices, 19 Aug. 2013. Web. 04 Jan. 2015. Wheeler, K. “Aristotle's definition of Tragedy.” //University of Carson-Newman//. Web. 5 January 2015.