URC9928786BF

ARISTOTLE & THE ELEMENTS OF TRAGEDY TERMS: anagnorisis, antistrophe, catharsis, dialog e, !ion"s s, dith"ra#$, ha#artia, h $ris, #as%, #i#esis, # sic, #"thos, orchestra, parados, pathos, peripeteia, plot, re&ersal, sat"r, s%ene, solilo' ", strophe, traged", tragic hero The classic disc ssion o( )ree% traged" is *ristotle+s Poetics. He defines tragedy as "the i itati!n !f an a"ti!n that is seri!#s and a$s! as ha%ing agnit#de& "! '$ete in itse$f." He "!ntin#es& "Tragedy is a f!r !f dra a e("iting the e !ti!ns !f 'ity and fear. Its a"ti!n sh!#$d )e sing$e and "! '$ete& 'resenting a re%ersa$ !f f!rt#ne& in%!$%ing 'ers!ns ren!*ned and !f s#'eri!r attain ents& and it sh!#$d )e *ritten in '!etry e )e$$ished *ith e%ery +ind !f artisti" e('ressi!n." The *riter 'resents "in"idents ar!#sing 'ity and fear& *here*ith t! inter'ret its "atharsis !f s#"h e !ti!ns" ,)y catharsis& Arist!t$e eans a '#rging !r s*ee'ing a*ay !f the 'ity and fear ar!#sed )y the tragi" a"ti!n,The $asic di((erence *ristotle dra.s $et.een traged" and other genres, s ch as co#ed" and the epic, is the "tragi" '$eas#re !f 'ity and fear" the a dience (eel .atching a traged"- /n order (or the tragic hero to aro se these (eelings in the a dience, he cannot $e either all good or all e&il $ t # st $e so#eone the a dience can identi(" .ith0 ho.e&er, i( he is s perior in so#e .a"1s,, the tragic pleas re is intensi(iedThe tragic hero+s po.er( l .ish to achie&e so#e goal ine&ita$l" enco nters li#its, s all" those o( h #an (railt" 1(la.s in reason, h $ris, societ",, the gods 1thro gh oracles, prophets, (ate,, or nat re- 2is disastro s end res lts (ro# a #ista%en action, .hich in t rn arises (ro# a tragic (la. or (ro# a tragic error in 3 dg#ent 1ha#artia,4(ten the tragic (la. is hubris, an e5cessi&e pride that ca ses the hero to ignore a di&ine .arning or to $rea% a #oral la.- The hero need not die at the end, $ t he6she # st ndergo a change in (ort ne- /n addition, the tragic hero #a" achie&e so#e re&elation or recognition 1anagnorisis778%no.ing again8 or 8%no.ing $ac%8 or 8%no.ing thro gho t8, a$o t h #an (ate, destin", and the .ill o( the gods- *ristotle ' ite nicel" ter#s this sort o( recognition 8a change (ro# ignorance to a.areness o( a $ond o( lo&e or hate-8 /t has $een s ggested that $eca se the tragic hero+s s ((ering is greater than his o((ense, the a dience (eels pit"0 $eca se the a dience #e#$ers percei&e that the" co ld $eha&e si#ilarl", the" (eel pit"Definiti!n !f Tragedy 1Fro# the 9oetics o( *ristotle :;8<7;22 BCE, 8Traged", then, is a process o( i#itating an action .hich has serio s i#plications, is co#plete, and possesses #agnit de0 $" #eans o( lang age .hich has $een #ade sens o sl" attracti&e, .ith each o( its &arieties (o nd separatel" in the parts0 enacted $"

the persons the#sel&es and not presented thro gh narrati&e0 thro gh a co rse o( pit" and (ear co#pleting the p ri(ication 1catharsis, so#eti#es translated 8p rgation8, o( s ch e#otions-8 a, "i itati!n" 1#i#esis,: Contrar" to 9lato, *ristotle asserts that the artist does not 3 st cop" the shi(ting appearances o( the .orld, $ t rather i#itates or represents Realit" itsel(, and gi&es (or# and #eaning to that Realit"- /n so doing, the artist gi&es shape to the ni&ersal, not the accidental- 9oetr", *ristotle sa"s, is 8a #ore philosophical and serio s $ siness than histor"0 (or poetr" spea%s #ore o( ni&ersals, histor" o( partic lars-8 $, 8an a"ti!n .ith seri!#s i#plications8: serio s in the sense that it $est raises and p ri(ies pit" and (ear0 serio s in a #oral, ps"chological, and social sensec, ""! '$ete and possesses #agnit de"- not 3 st a series o( episodes, $ t a .hole .ith a $eginning, a #iddle, and an end- The idea o( i#itation is i#portant here0 the artist does not 3 st sla&ishl" cop" e&er"thing related to an action, $ t selects 1represents, onl" those aspects that gi&e (or# to ni&ersal tr thsd, "$ang#age sens o sl" attracti&e---in the parts8: lang age # st $e appropriate (or each part o( the pla": chor ses are in a di((erent #eter and rh"th# and #ore #elodio s than spo%en parts- *ncient )ree% traged" had a chor s .hose role .as to co##ent on the action o( the pla"- The chor s so#eti#es sang their part- *ristotle said that the lang age sho ld $e eas" to listen to- /t sho ld ha&e rh"th# and also good har#on" (or the lines that .ere s nge, traged" 1as opposed to epic, relies on an ena"t ent 1dra#atic per(or#ance, not a 8narrati&e8 1the a thor telling a stor",(, "'#rifi"ati!n" 1catharsis,: traged" (irst raises 1it does not create, the e#otions o( pit" and (ear, then p ri(ies or p rges the#- =hether *ristotle #eans to sa" that this p ri(ication ta%es place onl" .ithin the action o( the pla", or .hether he thin%s that the a dience also ndergoes a cathartic e5perience, is still hotl" de$ated- 4ne scholar, )erald Else, sa"s that traged" p ri(ies 8.hate&er is +(ilth"+ or +poll ted+ in the pathos, the tragic act8 198,- 4thers sa" that the pla" aro ses e#otions o( pit" and (ear in the spectator and then p ri(ies the# 1red ces the# to $ene(icent order and proportion, or p rges the# 1e5pels the# (ro# his6her e#otional s"ste#,Arist!t$e said that tragedy has si( .. /$!t 1. 2hara"ter 4. Th!#ght ain e$e ents-

0. Di"ti!n 3. Me$!dy 5. S'e"ta"$e

The last (o r ele#ents 1Tho ght, !iction, Melod", and Spectacle, are the least i#portant, $ t *ristotle (elt the" # st $e done .ell (or the pla" to s cceed-

Th!#ght is the po.er o( sa"ing .hate&er can be said and should be said at each #o#ent o( the plot- !o the lines spo%en $" the actors #a%e sense> *re the" sa"ing .hat should be said at each partic lar #o#ent in the pla"> Di"ti!n is the act al co#position o( the lines that are recited- Tho ght deals .ith what is said, and diction deals .ith how it is said- There are #an" .a"s to sa" so#ething- * good pla".right co#poses lines that sa" so#ething e5tre#el" .ell- /n a good pla", so#e lines are so .ell constr cted that the a dience can lea&e the pla" ' oting the lines e5actl"Me$!dy and S'e"ta"$e are accessories- The )ree%s so#eti#es sed # sical acco#pani#ent- *ristotle said the # sic 1#elod", has to $lend in .ith the pla" appropriatel"- Spectacle re(ers to the staging o( the pla"- *gain, as .ith #elod", the spectacle sho ld $e appropriate to the the#e o( the pla"2hara"ter Character is the second #ost i#portant ele#ent o( traged"- Each character has an essential ' alit" or nat re that is re&ealed in the plot- The #oral p rpose o( each character # st $e clear to the a dience- The characters sho ld ha&e (o r #ain ' alities*- ?o #atter .ho the" are 1hero or sla&e,, the characters # st $e good in so#e .a"B- The characters sho ld act appropriatel" (or their gender and station in li(eC- The characters ha&e to ha&e $elie&a$le personalities!- Each character # st act consistentl" thro gho t the pla"- /n other .ords, nothing sho ld $e done or said that co ld $e seen as @acting o t o( character-A The Tragi" Her!The tragic hero is 8a :greatB #an .ho is neither a paragon o( &irt e and 3 stice nor ndergoes the change to #is(ort ne thro gh an" real $adness or .ic%edness $ t $eca se o( so#e #ista%e-8 a, @a great an: 8 one o( those .ho stand in great rep te and prosperit", li%e 4edip s, Cing o( The$es: @conspic o s #en (ro# (a#ilies o( that %ind-8 The hero is neither a &illain nor a #odel o( per(ection, $ t is $asicall" good and decent$, 8 ista+e8 1ha#artia,: This )ree% .ord, .hich *ristotle ses onl" once in the 9oetics, has also $een translated as 8(la.8 or as 8error-8 The great #an (alls thro gh77tho gh not entirel" $eca se o(77so#e .ea%ness o( character, so#e #oral $lindness, or error- =e sho ld note that the gods also are in so#e sense responsi$le (or the hero+s (all. /$!t The $est tragic plot is single and co#ple5, rather than do $le 18.ith opposite endings (or good and $ad877a characteristic o( co#ed" in .hich the good are re.arded and the .ic%ed p nished,- *ll plots ha&e so#e pathos 1s ((ering,, $ t a co#ple5 plot incl des re&ersal and recognitiona, 8re%ersa$8 1peripeteia,: occ rs .hen a sit ation see#s to de&eloping in one direction, then s ddenl" 8re&erses8 to another- For e5a#ple, .hen 4edip s (irst hears o( the death o( 9ol"$ s 1his s pposed (ather,, the ne.s at (irst see#s good, $ t then is re&ealed to $e

disastro s- Change $" itsel( is not eno gh- The character in&ol&ed in the change # st ha&e speci(ic characteristics to aro se the tragic e#otions o( pit" and (ear- There(ore, *ristotle said that there are three (or#s o( plot that sho ld $e a&oided*- * totall" good #an # st not pass (ro# happiness to #iser"- This .ill #a%e the a dience angr" that $ad things happened to hi#- The" .onDt pit" hi# so # ch as $e angr" for hi#B- * $ad #an # st not pass (ro# #iser" to happiness- This .onDt appeal to the a dience at all $eca se the" .onDt .ant to see e&il re.ardedC- * $ad #an cannot pass (ro# happiness to #iser"- The a dience .onDt (eel sorr" (or hi# $eca se the" .ill $elie&e he got .hat he deser&edThe tr e tragic hero cannot $e too good or too $ad, $ t he # st end p in #iser"*ristotle concl ded that the $est traged" centers on a $asicall" good #an .ho changes (ro# happiness to #iser" $eca se o( some great error- For e5a#ple, he #ight ha&e a good ' alit", li%e pride, that gets o t o( hand$, "re"!gniti!n" 1anagnorisis or 8%no.ing again8 or 8%no.ing $ac%8 or 8%no.ing thro gho t8 ,: a change (ro# ignorance to a.areness o( a $ond o( lo&e or hate- For e5a#ple, 4edip s %ills his (ather in ignorance and then learns o( his tr e relationship to the Cing o( The$esRecognition scenes in traged" are o( so#e horri$le e&ent or secret, .hile those in co#ed" s all" re nite long7lost relati&es or (riends- * plot .ith tragic re&ersals and recognitions $est aro ses pit" and (earThe plot o( a traged" also in&ol&es so#e horri$le or e&il deed- The tragic hero either does it consciously, does it out of ignorance, or mediates it 1#a%es it eas" (or the deed to happen,- For the a dience to $e horri(ied $" the e&il deed, the e&il has to $e done to so#eone i#portant to the tragic hero- /( the hero %ills his ene#", the deed .onDt see# so $ad- 4n the other hand, i( the hero %ills so#eone he doesnDt care a$o t, the a dience .onDt care # ch either- To #a%e it really horrible (or the a dience, *ristotle s ggested that the e&il deed sho ld $e done to a family memberc, "s#ffering" 1pathos,: *lso translated as 8a cala#it",8 the third ele#ent o( plot is 8a destr cti&e or pain( l act-8 The English .ords 8s"#path",8 8e#path",8 and 8apath"8 1literall", a$sence o( s ((ering, all ste# (ro# this )ree% .ord-

The Tragi" F!r

!%er Ti e

The Tragic For#, as identi(ied $" *ristotle ndergoes changes thro gh the "ears, tho gh itDs r di#ents are still &isi$le into so#e o( toda"Ds tragediesMedie%a$ Tragedy and The 6hee$ !f F!rt#ne

The #edie&al traged" is a prose or poetic narrati&e, not a dra#a- Traged" .as percei&ed as a re&ersal o( (ort ne, a (all (ro# a high position- This &ie. o( traged" deri&es (ro# the Medie&al concept o( (ort ne, .hich .as personi(ied as !a#e Fort ne, a $lind(olded .o#an .ho t rned a .heel at .hi#0 #en .ere stationed at &ario s places on the .heel77the top o( the .heel represented the $est (ort ne, $eing nder the .heel the .orst (ort ne- 2o.e&er, the .heel co ld t rn s ddenl" and the #an on top co ld s ddenl" $e nder the .heel, .itho t .arningE$i7a)ethan and Sha+es'earean Tragedy * distinctl" English (or# o( traged" $egins .ith the EliEa$ethans- The translation o( Seneca and the reading o( *ristotle+s Poetics .ere #a3or in(l ences- Man" critics and pla".rights, s ch as Ben Fonson, insisted on o$ser&ing the classical nities o( action, ti#e and place 1the action sho ld $e one .hole and ta%e place in one da" and in one place,- 2o.e&er, it .as ro#antic traged", .hich Sha%espeare .rote in Richard II, Macbeth, Hamlet, and King Lear, .hich pre&ailed- Ro#antic traged" disregarded the nities 1as in the se o( s $plots,, #i5ed traged" and co#ed", and e#phasiEed action, spectacle, and77increasingl"77sensation- Sha%espeare &iolated the nities in these .a"s and also in #i5ing poetr" and prose and sing the de&ice o( a pla"7.ithin7a7pla", as in Hamlet- The EliEa$ethans and their Faco$ean s ccessors acted on stage the &iolence that the )ree% dra#atists reported- The EliEa$ethan and later the Faco$ean pla".right had a di&erse a dience to please, ranging (ro# G een EliEa$eth and Cing Fa#es / and their co rtiers to the lo.est classesChristopher Marlo.e+s tragedies sho.ed the reso rces o( the English lang age .ith his #agni(icent $lan% &erse, as in the Tragedy of Dr. Faustus, and the po.er( l e((ects that co ld $e achie&ed $" (oc sing on a to.ering protagonist, as in Tamburlaine- /n EliEa$ethan traged", the indi&id al leads to &iolence and con(lict- * distinctl" non7 *ristotelian (or# o( traged" de&eloped d ring this period .as the tragico#ed"- /n a tragico#ed", the action and s $3ect #atter see# to re' ire a tragic ending, $ t it is a&oided $" a re&ersal that leads to a happ" ending0 so#eti#es the tragico#ed" alternates serio s and co#ic actions thro gho t the pla"- Beca se it $lends traged" and co#ed", the tragico#ed" is so#eti#es re(erred to as a 8#i5ed8 %ind-

6!r+s 2ited

*ristotle- Poetics. Trans- )erald F- Else- *nn *r$or: U o( Michigan 9, H967- !orsch, T- R-, trans- and edristotle Horace Longinus! "lassical Literary "riticism. ?e. Ior%: 9eng in, H96J- Ke", )raha#- The ncient #ree$ Theater. Chicago: U o( Chicago 9, H99H- Reinhold, Me"er- "lassical Drama% #ree$ and Roman. ?e. Ior%: Barrons, H9J9-